Section 11
SQL Statements Table

This table stores certain SQL commands and it is accessed by the application when it needs to process SQL requests. This is used primarily for custom interfaces where RASWIN is accessing data from another database such as a utility billing or building permit system. Users should not normally change the entries in the the table as incorrect settings can cause unpredictable or inaccurate results.

Each field in the table is listed, along with a short description, below:

1. COMMAND_NAME
   
   This is the name used to identify a specific set of SQL statements within the table. For example, a command name may be something like GET_FASTPOST_ALL_INFO.
   
   
2. SEQUENCE_number
   
   Since a SQL statement entry may be longer than the space available in the record, the SEQUENCE_number allows additional lines to be added to the table for a given COMMAND_NAME. The SEQUENCE_number is used to permit the application to assemble all of the related commands in a single command into the proper order. The values can start with 1 and progress up to very large values. Decimals are permitted, so that 1, 1.1, 1.2, 2 and so on, will be properly recognized in the proper sequence.
   
   When the full statement is needed, RASWIN will request the values from the table based on the command_name value in the order specified by the SEQUENCE_number.
   
   
3. COMMAND_TEXT
   
   This is the actual text string that defines the SQL command or text value comprising the command. For example for the GET_FASTPOST_ALL_INFO command noted above, the COMMAND_TEXT is
   
   SELECT * FROM FASTPOST ORDER BY FASTPOSTKEY.
   
   Rather than hard-code the COMMAND_TEXT in the program, the RASWIN retrieves the text from the table. This way, should this command need to be changed at a later time, it is a matter of just changing the table data, rather than the program.
   
   In some entries there are replaceable values which are used by RASWIN to permit specific records from the database, rather than all entries. For example,
   
   SELECT DEPT_NAME FROM DEPTCODES WHERE DEPT_CODE = '@DEPTCODE@'
   
   The @DEPTCODE@ portion of the command is replaced with the value of the department code being queried ... so when the command is executed, what the program does if first retrieve the basic SQL statement, then it replaces the @DEPCODE@ with the actual value..such as
   
   SELECT DEPT_NAME FROM DEPTCODES WHERE DEPT_CODE = 'FIN'
   
   Notes: Lines in the table that begin with two or more dashes are ignored. These are for comment lines that explain what the related command does.