JPH0148572B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a communication system for table-format data, and particularly to a communication system in which negotiation is performed before transferring table-format data.

[Conventional technology and problems]

Recently, simple languages have been used on personal computers, office computers, etc., and processes have been performed using visual operations. Since personal computers and office computers must be made compact, it is not possible to use a large number of external storage devices. A host computer with a relational database can handle tabular data. Therefore, a system has been proposed in which a host computer having a relational database is connected to a personal computer, an office computer, etc. (hereinafter referred to as a work station) through a line, and table-format data is transferred between the two.

In traditional table format data transfer,
Only the record data (table contents data) is transferred, and the data related to the table definition is determined in advance on the receiving side. This conventional method has the disadvantage that it is only possible to perform routine operations, as both the receiver and sender operate in a routine manner according to prior agreements. Therefore, it is desirable to also transfer information regarding table definitions.

Many work stations use floppy disk drives as external storage devices, and the table processing system may be different from that of the host computer. Therefore, table definition information and record data (hereinafter referred to as table data) are transferred from the host computer.
In some cases, the table cannot be restored even if the data is transferred to the work station. Table format data (table definition information and table
If data cannot be received during the transfer (combined data), or if table format data is received and found to be unrecoverable as a table, unnecessary expenses and burdens will be placed on the user. .

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention is based on the above considerations, and includes:
It is an object of the present invention to provide a table communication method that enables communication of table format data even when the table processing system of a host computer and the table processing system of a work station are different.

[Structure of the invention]

Therefore, the table communication method of the present invention requires a host computer that can process table format data and a work computer that can process table format data.
In a system that is equipped with a station and a line that connects the host computer and the work station, and is configured to be able to transfer table format data from one device to another, the transfer of table format data is started. Beforehand, the size of the table data that can be received, the number of consecutive transfers, the code system, the presence or absence of data compression, and the presence or absence of table data are confirmed through negotiation between the table format data sending side device and the receiving side device. It is characterized by:

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a diagram explaining the communication protocol of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a table structure diagram, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of the system shown in the figure.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a host computer, 2 is a work station, 3 is a relational database, 4 is a data file, and 5 is a display.

The host computer 1 waits for a relational database and can handle table format data. Work station 2 can also handle tabular data. The host computer 1 and work station 2 are connected, for example, via a public line. When the work station 2 sends a table transfer request to the host computer 1, the host computer 1 retrieves the corresponding table from the relational database 3, processes it to create table format data, and transfers the table format data to the workstation.
Send to station 2. Work station 2
stores the transmitted table format data in the data file 4.

FIG. 3 is a table structure diagram. The table is
It can be expressed by table definition information and table data. The table definition information includes basic definition information and display editing information. The basic definition information shows the table name, column name, number of columns, number of rows, key items, data attributes, etc., and the display editing information shows the table heading, column heading, display column width, display attributes (\, +, -, etc.). show. Table data is the actual content data, and includes EBCDIC data, Japanese code data, BINARY data, etc.

FIG. 2 explains the communication protocol of the present invention, where TBH indicates table definition information and TBD indicates table data. Work station 2
When the host computer 1 sends a table transfer request command to the host computer 1, the host computer 1 sends a Negotiate command to the work station 2. Work station 2 returns a response to the negotiate command. The negotiation command and response constitute the negotiation phase. In this negotiation phase, the size of table data that can be received, the number of consecutive transfers (TBD),
Confirm the communication format based on the code system (EBCDIC is a Japanese code, etc.), presence or absence of data compression, presence or absence of table data, etc., and then perform data communication. The response includes an affirmative response and a negative response, and in the case of a negative response, the host computer 1 instructs resetting. After the negotiation phase is completed, host computer 1 transfers table definition information (TBH) to work station 2. The table definition information (TBH) indicates the structure and contents of the subsequent table data (TBD), and the work
The station side receives this, checks whether it can process it, and returns a response.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing details of the system of FIG. 1. Host computer 1 waits for relational database 3 (database that can be operated in table format) and communicates with work station 2.
It has an interactive DB search system that can perform DB searches, and this includes access control (a common interface between database management systems and data management), and a search query command processor (command analysis execution function required for table operations). ,
It consists of a terminal control and a directory 3' (in which information representing the structure of FIG. 3 is stored).

Table operations can be performed using various search commands on the display screen of work station 2, but if you want to transfer a table to work station 2, enter IMPORT in the command box on the display screen. The processor places the current table definition information from the directory onto a predetermined memory, then expands the table data from the relational database 3 or file onto a predetermined memory, and when the IMPORT command is input. Create table definition information and table data in memory according to search conditions. Next, the table definition information and table data created as described above are converted into the format of table definition information and table data for transfer, and transferred to work station 2 according to the communication protocol shown in Figure 2. do. Work station 2
Then, the table is received by the table transfer program, converted into table format data inside the work station 2, and stored in the data file 4. The data stored in data file 4 can be manipulated by a table processing program.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the transfer of table format data that cannot be processed on the receiving side.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a diagram explaining the communication protocol of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a table structure diagram, and FIG. 4 is a diagram similar to that of FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of the system. 1...Host computer, 2...Work slash, 3...Relational database, 4
...Data file, 5...Display.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A host computer that can process table format data and a work computer that can process table format data.
In a system that is equipped with a station and a line that connects the host computer and the work station, and is configured to be able to transfer table format data from one device to another, the transfer of table format data is started. Beforehand, the size of the table data that can be received, the number of consecutive transfers, the code system, the presence or absence of data compression, and the presence or absence of table data are confirmed through negotiation between the table format data sending side device and the receiving side device. A table communication method characterized by: