A member is a set of logically related data, e.g. a file, procedure, object module or source program. Each member can be addressed individually in the library by way of its member designation. The member designation identifies a member and consists of three parts: name, version and type.
Name: | Describes the logical contents of the member. |
Version: | Describes the current development status of the member. |
Type: | Classifies the member. |
Program libraries may contain any LMS-supported member types.
The program library features permit all data associated with a project, from source program, through object modules and phases (load modules), compilation procedures and test data to documentation, to be stored in the appropriate storage units of a library.
Types of storage
The user has a choice of two forms of storage for textual members: members can be stored as non-delta or delta members. The type of storage is controlled by means of the STORAGE-FORM operand in the LMS statements ADD-ELEMENT, COPY-ELEMENT, EDIT-ELEMENT, MODIFY-LMS-DEFAULTS, MODIFY-LIBRARY-ATTRIBUTES, MODIFY-TYPE-ATTRIBUTES, PROVIDE-ELEMENT and RETURN-ELEMENT.
When the delta method is used, only the differences (deltas) to the previous version are stored whenever several versions of a member are present. This helps save even more storage space. When such member versions are read, LMS merges these deltas at the appropriate locations. The user is thus always offered the complete member. In addition, hierarchical relationships can be established between members (delta sequence, delta tree).