1.6 Local Data Dictionary

LANSA Open can maintain a local data dictionary on the PC's hard disk to record the file and field information (e.g. description, type, length, etc.) normally returned by the host during the Open Session function call.

The local data dictionary avoids the constant downloading of information from the host in cases where the information has not changed.

The use of the local data dictionary will depend on your application and the user's requirements.

The local data dictionary's details are kept up to date in this way:

• For files, each file is version checked with the host and details updated locally, if necessary, on a per file basis.

• For fields, if any field definition in the Repository on the host has changed, all the fields for that file are replaced in the local data dictionary. This occurs regardless of whether any changed field is requested in the current session or not.

You specify that you want to use the local data dictionary in the Configuration File.