Dumping PICK Items to DOS

Use the TDUMP command to dump a specified file or items to a DOS disk, in a similar way to PICK's T-DUMP utility dumping to tape. You can then use the TLOAD command to load them up again (for example onto another host), removing any tape incompatibility problems between the two hosts, see The TLOAD Program.

This routine is very useful for program files and small data files, and also gives you a cost-effective way of shipping your data to different hosts as well as backing up your important programs. You can also copy data from system to system without the limitation of tape/media incompatibility. Simply dial up your customer site (if they have HostAccess host programs loaded), TLOAD your latest code, compile, delete and disconnect.

This program exploits the PICK.DOS command.

If a PICK select list is active, i.e. you have executed a SELECT, SSELECT or GET-LIST immediately prior to invoking TDUMP, then this list will be applied to the file to be TDUMPed.

This program is not designed for exporting PICK data into different DOS formats for down-loading into DOS packages. This is achieved using the GET (see GET - Extracting PICK Data to Pass to DOS or Windows) and PASS.TO routines (see PASS.TO - Passing PICK Data Directly into DOS or Windows Products). Downloading multiple PICK items is described on Downloading Multiple PICK items.

You may also notice that the more DOS files created, the slower the transfer. This is due to the DOS file management system.

The TDUMP Command

TDUMP may be invoked as a TCL command and follows a very similar format to the standard PICK T-DUMP command. The syntax is as follows:

TDUMP {DICT} {filename} {itemname} {(options}

Where:

DICT	Use this literal to specify the dictionary of filename.
filename	Is the PICK data file from which items will be dumped.
itemname	Is the optional name of any single item to be dumped. If you specify the item name as an asterisk "*" then all records in the file will be dumped.

You are then prompted for the DOS  'tape' name. This must be no longer than 8 characters and should not include a DOS extension, as this will be appended by TDUMP. Lastly, you are prompted for the path to the DOS directory where the  'tape' is to be stored. This must be the FULL path.

Options for the TDUMP Command

Any characters following the open round bracket are treated as options. Multiple options may be specified as follows:

O	Overwrite existing  'tape' DOS files if they already exist.
Z	Suppress display of file transfer status windows which would normally appear for each item in the file.
S	Suppress record ids being displayed as they are downloaded.

Any of the PICK.DOS file transfer options are also valid. The B binary option is forced ON by default to allow multi-values etc. to be passed between hosts.

TDUMP Example

Say you want to TDUMP selected records in the BP file down to DOS. At TCL, enter:

SELECT BP = "[GAME]"
TDUMP BP (ZS

At the tape name prompt type : PROGRAMS. At the directory prompt type : C:\TAPES. This creates the following DOS files in the C:\TAPES directory:

PROGRAMS.PIX	An internal index used to identify what's in the TAPE to enable TLOAD to load the records back with the correct keys.
PROGRAMS.001	The first record.
PROGRAMS.002	The second record.
PROGRAMS.xxx	etc.
PROGRAMS.XRF	Index to identify DOS name given to each PICK name.

You can then backup all of these DOS files say to drive B by typing at DOS, COPY C:\TAPES\PROGRAMS.* B: This diskette could then be sent to another site, perhaps, where they could run a corresponding TLOAD (see The TLOAD Program) to upload the programs.