The basic tools described here address the issue of analyzing the actual content of the data fields in a flat file so as to provide the information for correct mapping of the source data to standards. They tools represent a simpler basic subset of the windows oriented tools, but still support the initial analysis of content using a command line interface. Embedded data definitions are what customize code for a particular file, form or screen. Making all Meta Data external to the code allows one set of code to be used in place of many programs. The article describes how this can be achieved, what Meta Data is required, and shows examples related to a Data Warehouse implementation where a single set of code standardizes and normalizes the data from tens of files.
Further examples are from display and capture screens.
The J language is a powerful interpretive language with a concise syntax. Its very power and conciseness makes it difficult for a novice to master, but also makes it of interest to a manager because little code and effort is required to achieve results. This article discuses the features of J which make it applicable to typical commercial processing tasks. It provides simple code examples to illustrate for a manager how little code may be required to implement powerful data manipulation capabilities. Application Packages appear to offer the lowest cost solution for most organizations, yet there are many practical reasons why they end up costing much more than anticipated.