Once batch control is created between two tables, it will be necessary to delete the batch control definition before attempting to delete either of the tables being used.
It is important to note that batch control and table triggers work with the real columns in the table, whereas PJCs use virtual columns. Depending on the database design, one technique may have advantages over another.
Equivalent functionality to batch control can be performed using table level triggers. Though the trigger approach requires manual coding of the trigger functions, the ability to manually code the application logic makes the trigger very flexible and very powerful. Triggers are the recommended approach for implementing batch control type logic.
Predetermined join columns can also be used for calculating totals between tables. When deciding if a PJC should be used instead of batch control, it is very important to note the difference in these two techniques. Batch control keeps a total in an existing real column in a table. The value is maintained when the dependent table is updated. With the PJC, the column is a virtual column. It is not part of the table. The PJC total is calculated when the column is accessed in the table.
Batch control is fully supported with RDML tables. However, when used with RDMLX tables, it will work only with RDML keys and target/source columns.
