How to Work with Processes > Working with the Data File Processes Group

Process Purpose

The "File Open/Close" process is used to open or close a data file. It is particularly useful when working with a data file set to mode “Optimized”. This mode does not automatically close or open the data file, so it is possible to, manually, manage this situation in order to achieve maximum performance (read/write). See Creating a Data File.

When you add a process, you are required to define its settings. This occurs in the process's properties window which is displayed automatically after having added the "File Open/Close" process.

If any subsequent edition is required, double-click the process to open its properties window and enter the necessary modifications.

Fill in the following options:

Open / Close File Name
Source	Select the data file to be opened/closed from the drop-down. If required, click to edit the "source" data file. See Editing a Data File.
Operation	Check the operation to be performed ("Open" or "Close").
If Error
Go to	Select a target location from the drop-down or list, in case an error occurs in the execution of the previously selected operation. See Detail of a window below. When defining a screen as a target destination (ex: via a “Go to” process), you CANNOT use variables to specify the name of that target screen. You must select the intended screen from the available drop-down/list.

Detail of a window:

"S:Menu" is a screen included in the same program as the process.

"R:Routine_1" is a routine included in the same program as the process.

If required, use the icons on the upper right corner of the process properties window:

Click this icon to create a new data file. Go to Creating a Data File to see how to fill in the several options available.

Use the icon to attach any relevant notes to this process. Click it and enter your notes in the resulting text box. These notes will be displayed in the corresponding "Actions" tab or "Process" window (in the "Notes" field) and in the "Developer Report".

After filling in the required options, click to conclude or to abort the setting options for the "File Open/Close" process.

The added process is displayed in the corresponding "Actions" tab or "Process" window.

You can use relative paths to refer the file(s) you want to use in your project. See Working with Aliases.

If you want to use a label as a target destination, you can use the "Auto-Label" mechanism. This alternative to the "Set Label" process allows you to create a label in the properties window of a process - specifically, in the fields used to define target destinations (ex: the "If Error..." type fields). See To Automatically Create a Label.

Use the right-click in MCL-Designer's input boxes to access some related options as well as the general "Cut", "Copy"; "Paste"; "Search" actions (active/inactive according to the current context).

Ex: If you right-click the "Variable" input box (included in a "Conversion's" properties window), you are provided with general editing/search actions and other more specific options such as "Variable Select" (see "Variable Select"); "Variable Insert" (see "Variable Insert"); "Insert Special Character" (see To Insert Special Characters into a Control's Text Input Field) and "Localization Select" (see Localization List).

If you right-click another input box, it may provide other possibilities.