Triggering automatic events in your database

A trigger is a set of actions that run automatically when a specified change or read operation is performed on a specified database file. You can define a set of trigger actions in any high-level language that is supported on the i5/OS^® operating system.

The change operation can be an insert, update, or delete high-level language statement in an application program. The read operation can be a fetch, get, or read high-level language statement in an application program.

You can also use SQL triggers.

• Uses for triggers
  Triggers in the database have several uses.

• Benefits of using triggers in your business
  Triggers offer benefits to your business.

• Creating trigger programs
  You can create and work with a program that contains a set of trigger actions.

• Adding triggers
  You can add a trigger to a specific database file.

• Displaying triggers
  You can use the Display File Description (DSPFD) command to display a list of triggers that are associated with a file. Specify TYPE(*TRG) or TYPE(*ALL) to get the list.

• Removing triggers
  You can remove triggers using the Remove Physical File Trigger (RMVPFTRG) command, the SQL DROP TRIGGER statement, and iSeries™ Navigator.

• Enabling or disabling physical file triggers
  You can enable or disable triggers using the Change Physical File Trigger (CHGPFTRG) command and iSeries Navigator.

• Triggers and their relationship to CL commands
  Triggers interact with CL commands in several ways.

• Triggers and their relationship to referential integrity
  A physical file can have both triggers and referential constraints associated with it. The running order among trigger actions and referential constraints depends on the constraints and triggers that are associated with the file.

Parent topic:

Related concepts
Database data protection and monitoring SQL triggers SQL programming