TUTORIAL CDS/ISIS

This window is displayed each time CDS/ISIS is started. It is normally empty, as shown below, unless a default data base is selected through parameter 6 of the syspar.par file. In this case the data base window of the default data base is also automatically opened.
Þ Click on any item of the menu bar in the window shown above for more information on each option.
The main components of this window are:
· the window title bar, at the top of the window;
· the menu bar, which provides access to all the CDS/ISIS functions (some of these functions may also be activated by clicking on the various buttons of the tool bar);· the tool bar, located just under the menu, which provides a quick mouse access to the most frequently used functions of CDS/ISIS, such as opening a data base, searching or printing (see data base window);· the status bar,at the bottom of the window, which is normally used to display help messages. The status bar may be disabled by setting the appropriate option in syspar.par.

Þ Click on any item of the menu bar shown above for more information on each option.
The bottom part of the menu normally contains the list of the most recently opened data bases. You may open any one of them by simply clicking on the corresponding entry.
Open
There are three ways you may open a data base:
1. the first is by selecting one of the five most recently opened data bases from the list shown at the bottom of this menu;
2. the second is by selecting this option;3. the third is by clicking on the open data base button on the toolbar:
In the last two cases CDS/ISIS will display the open dialog box.After opening a data base the corresponding data base window is displayed.
Close
This option closes the currently selected data base. All associated windows, such as a search window, will also be automatically closed.
Close all
This option closes all the currently open data bases.
Import
This option allows you to import data from external files recorded according to the ISO-2709 standard format for information interchange. When you select this otion CDS/ISIS will first display an Open Dialog Box, where you select the file to be imported, and then the Import Dialog Box which contains the various parameters you must also supply.
Export
This option allows you to extract a data base or a portion thereof normally for transmitting it to other users. You may also use this option to perform some reformatting of the records of a data base and then use the import function to store the reformatted data into the original or a different data base. When you select this option CDS/ISIS will first display an Open Dialog Box, where you select the output file, and then the Export Dialog Box which contains the various parameters you must also supply.
I/F Update
This option allows you to perform various maintenance operations on the Inverted file of the selected data base. When you select this option CDS/ISIS displays the Inverted File Maintenance Dialog Box which contains the various parameters you must also supply.
Print
This option allow you to print the output of a given query and/or to print a selected range of records. You may sort the records by virtually any combination of fields and subfields.The field(s) by which the records are sorted may be used as headings in printing. When you select this option CDS/ISIS displays the Print Dialog Box where you will be asked to provide the specific sorting and page layout parameters you require for that particular print run.
Exit
This option terminates CDS/ISIS. All open data bases will automatically be closed.