The array structure is basically not supported by relational design, and thus always causes some problems when used with any product designed to work with relational database designs.
However, many system designers include array constructs into design as a legitimate way of improving the performance of an application.
It must be emphasized that the use of array constructs in database files is NOT considered to be the best long term strategy in database design terms.
The array processing facility within LANSA is provided as a concession to reality. Array structures within files are very common and provide better system performance than fully normalized relational database designs.
The presence of this facility should not be construed in any way as encouraging the use of array structures in database designs.
Whenever hardware resources permit, a fully relational design will always yield a simpler, easier to use, easier to maintain and longer lasting solution.
To aid in processing arrays, the following example describes a technique for processing array structures at the RDML level. For more details about this example, you should also refer to the DEF_ARRAY (Define Array) command in the LANSA Technical Reference Guide.
