Natural is a computer programming language semi-compiled, published by the German company Software AG .

DEFINITION

Its syntax is strongly inspired by that of Cobol: one finds there instructions such as move , perform , compute , as well as principles such as the redefinition of data or the possibility of defining the scope of a variable. Nevertheless, this syntax remains rather simple and much verbeuse than Cobol:

• the heading of the program is reduced to its more simple expression;
• it does not have there character of end of line;
• …

The interest of a semi-compiled language is its portability on various systems (mainframe, Unix, Windows…) indeed it is enough to carry the " RunTime Natural" there on a platform to be able to carry out Natural programs originally created on another platform (it is the same principle as that of Java with the bearings of JVM.

This language was created at the beginning to give access to the databases Adabas (of the same editor). It quickly grew rich to be able to support relational databases like or not relational DB2 like DL1, VSAM. It is especially used in the industry and the companies of big size, because the Adabas base is supported not only on platesformes like Unix or Windows but especially on large systems authorizing a management of massive I/O.

The instructions of access to the basic Management system of data (DBMS) are functional (they mask the physical requests and the organization of the data): each instruction of access to a table of the base is presented in the form of a loop of reading according to a single-ended spanner or made up.

Ex: The reading is appeared as 2 Keywords.

READ Counts (Access to the table → Début buckles reading) instruction (S)…. on the recording management of exit of the loop of reading often to the discretion of the programmer END-READ (Marker of end of loop)

The language has extension also allowing the coding of the access in the form of requests SQL.

Example of Natural Source

DEFINE WENT BACK PARAMETER/* paragraph to declaration of the parameters of the program
1 PARAM1 (A001)/* alphanumeric
1 PARAM2 (N004)/* Numérique
ROOM/* paragraph of declaration of the variables of the program
1 CLE_COMPOSEE (A022)
1 REDEFINE CLE_COMPOSEE/* redefinition of the variable cle_composee
  2 VAR1_1 (A001)
  2 VAR1_2 (N020)
1 VAR3 (L)/* Boolean
1 VAR4 (D)/* Date
1 VAR5 (N5)/* Numérique on 5 positions
END-DEFINE/* beginning of program
 
 
ONE ERROR/* paragraph of management of the errors
   WRITE “N° error” *ERROR-NR “line” *ERROR-LINE “in program” *PROGRAM
END-ERROR
 
 
MOVE PARAM1 TO VAR1_1
MOVE PARAM2 TO VAR1_2
 
 
/* the paragraph find…. end-find defines a loop of reading. 
/* As long as recordings of the table satisfy the criteria
/* of research, one returns at the beginning of the loop to find 
/* the following recording…
FIND COUNTS WITH TABLE.CLE = CLE_COMPOSEE/* buckles of search for recordings 
 IF NO RECORD FOUND
  WRITE “no recording finds”
  ESCAPE BOTTOM/* left the loop of reading
 END-NOREC
 
 
 IF TABLE.CHAMP1 = “louse”
  ESCAPE SIGNAL/* passage to the following iteration 
                           /* (to avoid, for example, to treat
                           /* certain recordings)
 END-IF
 
 
 PERFORM TRAITER_CHAQUE_RECORD_LU
END-FIND
 
 
DEFINE SUBROUTINE TRAITER_CHAQUE_RECORD_LU
    WRITE TABLE.CHAMP1 TABLE.CHAMP2
END-SUBROUTINE
 
 
Fine END/* of program

HISTORY

• the first version of Natural is born in 1979.
• Limité at the beginning in the world of the great systems (IBM, Siemens…), a version functioning under Windows appeared during the years 1990.
• Début a at the beginning of 2003 graphic environment of development (Natural for Windows) makes it possible to develop and develop Natural programs on Mainframe starting from a work station under Windows.
• Natural 2006 grows rich by a graphic studio under Windows and also by a studio in the form of plugin Eclipse.

EVOLUTIONS

Natural 2006 has a vocabulary extended to treat in a native way documents XML.

Natural remains, like Cobol, strongly directed towards the fact, business applications:

• of its facilities for the handling of the data (access to the DBMS, redefinitions);
• of its performances raised in particular for the treatments of mass.
• of its facilities to manage the user interfaces of the type 3270 for intensive controlled seizures.

Random links:

Washington (District of Columbia) | Gabriel-Fauré college of the Tournon-on-Rhone | Robert L. Johnson | Leo Lionni