Many of the functions documented in this manual are designed to place an entry in the journal and session file for a database when they are executed.

Both journal and session files keep track of operations that would modify a database and some of the settings in Patran. Session files track the operations done over a single work period, journal files track the operations done over the life of a database.

All entries made to both the journal and session file take the form of a PCL, or ‘Patran Command Language’ statement. PCL provides the glue that ties all of the inputs from a user to the underlying code that composes Patran and provides the tools needed to modify and customize Patran.