Once you have logged on successfully, the DOMAIN main menu appears. This menu displays all objects that are managed by DOMAIN. In order to show their relationships to one another and for the sake of clarity, these objects are divided into two groups: Database Objects and Application Objects.
Select the group to be displayed under the View menu item.
Database Objects are all objects managed by ADABAS using CREATE/ALTER/ DROP statements. Application Objects are those objects managed by applications or other ADABAS tools (e.g., EASY, QUERY and QueryPlus). Although you cannot create or alter these objects using DOMAIN, you can determine their relationships to other objects; e.g., you can find out which tables are used in which programs.
The Domain, User objects occur in relationships with many other objects and, thus, form a separate group within the database objects. Domains describe data elements that can be used in tables or forms.
The User object identifies all users defined in the database along with their access privileges for such objects as Table, Column, Index, Module, DB Procedure, etc.
The DB Procedure, Trigger, and DB Function objects allow the user to relocate application logic to the database server.
The DB Procedure object describes the DB procedures that are defined in the database and executed in the server. These procedures form a software layer that can be used by any application.
The Trigger object describes a procedure that is called implicitly after changing the table or column to which the trigger is related (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE). Triggers are used to check complicated integrity rules, to initiate derived database modifications for the corresponding row or any other row, or to implement complicated rules for access protection.
The DB Function object describes user-specific functions that can be used in SELECT statements. DB Functions also allow the user to relocate application logic to the database server.
Using DOMAIN, the developer of a DB Procedure, a Trigger, or a DB Function can create a specification of the object as a comment that can then be called by all authorized users. Users of the DB Procedure, Trigger, or DB Function can also easily view parameter definitions and descriptions. The DB Procedure, Trigger, or DB Function objects themselves are defined with the aid of ADABASIC.
The Snapshot object is a special read-only table, the contents of which are a replicated partial dataset of one or more base tables. The Snapshot contents are explicitly updated with the REFRESH statement (see the ADABAS Reference manual).
The Module object describes a compilation unit in C or COBOL, or in ADABASIC. A module in ADABASIC exists for each DB Procedure, Trigger, and DB Function.
Before executing a function, single-click on the object to which the function is to be applied. All functions that are possible for the selected object are made available in the menu bar. The most important functions are also offered in a toolbar and can be called by clicking on them directly.
DOMAIN presents the objects as a list or as an individual object (design mode). Some of the more complex objects (e.g., Table) consist of several other objects in design mode. For less complex objects, the complete description of the object is contained in the object list. Any number of object lists and windows for individual objects of different object types can be displayed simultaneously on the screen.
When you select a specific object from the object list, or if you are in design mode, all operations in the menu bar refer to this object. In particular, you are provided with a list of all objects to which the selected object is related.
From the main menu, you can access
- The list of all objects of the selected object type that you are authorized to view by selecting the Object / List All Objects menu item or by clicking on the 
toolbar button.
- The list of all objects of the selected object type of which you are the owner by selecting the Object / List Own Objects menu item, by clicking on the 
toolbar button,
or by double-clicking.
- A dialog box for entering the search arguments in order to define the relevant object list more precisely by selecting the Object / Select Objects menu item or by clicking on the
toolbar button. The object list is then displayed.
- The empty design window for the selected object by selecting the Object / New... menu item or by clicking on the 
toolbar button.
- The initial DOMAIN window from which you can again log onto the database (e.g., under a different username) by selecting the Object / Close Database menu item.
The menu bar offers only those functions that are possible for the selected object type; other functions are displayed as deactivated menu items.
Some menu functions are always available and activated:
Object / Close: Always exits the current window; changes can still be saved.
Object / Print: Prints out the current object list or relationship display.
Object / SQL: Opens the SQL window for ad-hoc queries.
Object / Exit: Exits DOMAIN; changes can still be saved.
Window / Close All: closes all windows except the main menu
Window / Cascade ..Arrange Icons: see Windows
Help: displays help information
Since DOMAIN is a multiple-document interface (MDI) Windows 3.1 application, several lists and several definition windows for different object types can be simultaneously displayed on the screen. While defining an object, you can display different lists for this or for other objects.