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Environment

Introduction

Overview

SIR/XS is a comprehensive database management and application development system. The normal way to use SIR/XS is through a set of graphical user menus and dialogs. Simply enter the operating system command sir or click on the appropriate icon and the menus are displayed. This gives access to any SIR databases and enables you to create and develop applications. In addition to this, there are a number of features for more complex situations.

The menus allow you to perform all standard tasks but you may wish to provide scripts for other users to use and want to know about commands.

When you execute sir, the command line has various optional keywords and parameters known as execution parameters that specify a starting database and various other settings.

The system can also run login scripts that further customise the environment you are using.

If you have a number of regular, routine tasks that are not done by people interactively, but are simply run, then you may wish to use sirbatch facilities.

If you have a number of users who need to update the same database simultaneously, then you may wish to use sirmaster process that controls and co-ordinates updates.

If you want to provide ODBC access to your SIR data for other applications, then you need to install the SIR ODBC driver and use the SirSQL Server.

If you wish to allow one SIR/XS session to send commands to run on another part of the network, then you may wish to use PQLServer facilities.