Using the VAX Information Architecture

This document serves as a comprehensive guide and reference for Digital Equipment Corporation's VAX Information Architecture, a suite of integrated software products designed for efficient information management and application development. It is structured into several key components:

First, it introduces the VAX Information Architecture family, detailing products such as the VAX Common Data Dictionary (CDD) for central data definition storage, VAX Rdb/VMS for relational database management, VAX DBMS for network database management, VAX Terminal Data Management System (TDMS) for forms-driven input/output, VAX Application Control and Management System (ACMS) for transaction processing, and VAX DATATRIEVE for querying, reporting, and graphics generation. It explains how these components integrate to provide flexible solutions for diverse information management needs.

Second, it provides a step-by-step introduction to developing software applications using these components, illustrated with detailed examples for personnel and car rental applications. This includes designing and defining databases (both relational and network models), defining forms, requests, and workspaces with TDMS, and implementing transaction processing logic with ACMS. It also covers methods for interactive data querying, report generation, and producing graphical representations of data using DATATRIEVE.

Finally, the document includes a comprehensive documentation directory, a master glossary of VAX Information Architecture terms, and a master index to the full documentation sets, making it a valuable resource for programmers, database administrators, system managers, and application designers.