Data Documentation and Retrieval in a UniVerse

Environment ABSTRACT Mergers, acquisitions, and good business practices constantly contribute to the growth of small companies into larger conglomerates. This growth means that software and systems that were sufficient to run a company one day may be insufficient the next. Database systems that were poorly designed or documented during a company’s incubation period may become obstacles to additional growth. In this paper, we discuss methods for improving access to poorly documented databases in a UniVerse environment. We detail approaches involving ODBC access to the UniVerse environment and the usage of UniVerse programs to improve access to the same data using examples from a grocery distributor’s current database system. INTRODUCTION Even as some companies lose market share and stock value, others remain strong and even grow. This growth means that software and systems that were sufficient to run a company one day may be insufficient the next. Database systems that were poorly designed or documented during a company’s incubation period may become obstacles to additional growth. This paper will discuss automated approaches to documenting the tables and columns of a database system in order to improve access and overcome these obstacles. This paper will also cover methods used to access data that is poorly documented.