The data source you access can be a result set from a relational database, a hierarchical database, a VSAM or serial file, or a message queue. The data source might have a parent (as in a hierarchical database); you might have to generate the data source (for example, you might use an EGL open statement to create a result set that includes a cursor for navigation within the results).
Within your EGL program, you use data access statements to move data into fields within record variables. In most cases, you specify a record variable when you code the data access statement. You declare a record variable with a type that refers to a specific Record definition. That definition has a stereotype that customizes the record to work with a particular data source. For more information, see Stereotypes.
If you define a custom Record part that is stereotyped as an SQLRecord, a variable that is based on your custom part acquires properties that are unique to relational databases. EGL uses the stereotyping and properties of your record variable to determine the exact behavior of a data access statement. For example, a get statement that targets an SQL record variable behaves differently than one that targets an WebSphere® MQ record variable.
Each data access statement has a certain core behavior that is covered in the topics in this section. To learn how a specific stereotype affects this core behavior, read the appropriate topic in the section for the data access technology involved. For example, all get statements read from a data source. When the target of the get statement is an SQL record variable, the data source is a result set that is derived from a relational database. For more information, see SQL data access.
EGL Rich UI supports file, database, and printer access only through services. EGL data access statements are not available in Rich UI handlers or in libraries generated into JavaScript™.