User's Guide
   PART 4. Database Administration and Advanced Use
     CHAPTER 27. Deploying Databases and Applications       

File naming conventions

Adaptive Server Anywhere uses consistent file naming conventions to help identify and group system components.

These conventions include:

• Version number     The Adaptive Server Anywhere version number is indicated in the filename of the main server components (.exe and .dll files).

  For example, the file dbeng6.exe is a Version 6 executable.

• Operating system     In cases where a conflict is likely, the last character in the filename indicates the platform on which that file is intended to run. This mainly applies to Windows 3.x files, which have a final character of w.

• Language     The language used in a language-specific string library is indicated by a two-letter code within its filename. These two-letter codes are specified by ISO standard. For example, dblgen6.dll is the string library for English, on the NT/Win95 platform. The language used in the library is indicated by the two characters before the version number.

Identifying other file types 

The following table identifies the platform and function of Adaptive Server Anywhere files according to their file extension. Adaptive Server Anywhere follows standard file extension conventions where possible.

File extension	Platform	File type
.nlm	Novell NetWare	NetWare Loadable Module
.cnt, .ftg, .fts, .gid, .hlp	Windows 3.x, NT, Win95	Help system file
.lib	Varies by development tool	Static runtime libraries for the creation of Embedded SQL executables
.cfg, .cpr, .dat, .loc, .spr, .srt, .xlt	Windows 95/NT	Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise components
.cmd .bat	Windows 95, NT, 3.x	Command files
.res	NetWare, UNIX	Language resource file for non-Windows environments
.dll	Windows 95, NT, 3.x	Dynamic Link Library
.so .sl .a	UNIX	Shared object (Sun Solaris and IBM AIX) or shared library (HP-UX) file. The equivalent of a DLL on PC platforms.

Database file names 

Adaptive Server Anywhere databases are composed to two elements:

• Database file     This is used to store information in an organized format. This file uses a .db file extension.

• Transaction log file     This is used to record all changes made to data stored in the database file. This file uses a .log file extension, and is generated by Adaptive Server Anywhere if no such file exists and a log file is specified to be used.

• Write file     If your application uses a write file, it typically has a .wrt file extension. A write file is used with read-only databases.

• Compressed database file     If you supply a read-only compressed database file, it typically has extension .cdb.

Both files are updated, maintained and managed by the Adaptive Server Anywhere relational database management system.