IBM 1130 User Manual page 127

Data
The first step in file design requires a study of all
procedures that utilize the file.
On
the basis of
these studies, record each necessary item on a
worksheet like the one illustrated in Figure 20.1.
Indicate the type of information, the frequency of
occurrence, and the sequence in the source docu-
ment, if applicable. The following should be done:
• Check that the necessary reference data is in-
cluded, if this is a source file.
• Weigh the effects of media storage costs vs
program execution time for constant-type data, such
as tax-exempt dollars in payroll.
• Include fields obtained by processing, if the
results must be recaptured later.
• Examine all applications that utilize the file,
in order to prevent omission of necessary data.
• Explore future requirements of the current
procedures. For example, it might be judicious to
Section Subsections Page
20
40
I
10
01
include an additional deduction field in your payroll
appl icat ion.
• Determine any additional information needed
for planned applications.
It
may be more practical
to include an extra field now than to reorganize your
files later.
• Study the feasibility of consolidating existing
data files into a single data file to eliminate dupli-
cation of common information, if such a combined
record would not too adversely affect the running
time.
• Ascertain whether material needed in a new
application, for which the data file is to be designed,
is available already in an existing data file.
• Verify that the data file, when set up, will
contain all the basic information to meet the re-
quirements of all persons who will be using the pro-
ducts resulting from the file processing.
• Consider file maintenance and audit control.
FILE DESIGN
WORK~HEET
Started _ _ _
Dote
Completed _ _ _
File Nome
Designer
Process Cycle
Record Characteristics File Dynamics
File Media Requirements
DA
MO
Type:
Charactc:r Silt:' NO. REC. YRLY% YRlY% 5 YR % TOT NO. TYPE
AMOUNT
WK
YR
Fixed
MIN MAX
AV ADD
DROP
GROWTH REC
Vdr.
A B
C
D
E
5(B-C)=D A+AD=E
Inform3tion Required for Processing and Type of Inform
J
tion Field Size
Sequence
Reporting
Required
IN IN IN
REMARKS
TRIAL
TRIAL TRIAL
FINAL
SOURCE RECORD RELATED
OOC
FILES
Figure 20. 1. File design worksheet