Re: Journal receiver problems

e
Hello Ron (and everyone else with an opinion on this topic),

The "problem" is in how most midrange programmer's handle outfiles.  They build 
permanent 'work files' and declare the work file in the processing program.  
WRONG!

Here is how it is intended to work:

Outfiles are a release independant method of retrieving information.  IBM 
provides template files in QSYS for each of the DSPxxx commands.  These files 
are created without members and with LVLCHK(*NO) specified.  Using LVLCHK(*NO) 
allows IBM to add new fields at the end of the record format.  They will not 
change the existing layout, they will not rename fields, they will not change 
field attributes. (If they do then generally a Rochester developer got it WRONG 
and you can APAR them.)

Your code should declare the TEMPLATE, not the work file.  You issue the DSPxxx 
command specifying the desired outfile and then OVERRIDE the declared template 
to the outfile.

If you create a work file based on the template (via CRTDUPOBJ or by running 
the 
DSPxxx command once to create the work file) then your code will break when 
the DSPxxx command is enhanced to output additional fields.  You should always 
let the DSPxxx command create the outfile on EVERY run -- unless you are using 
MBROPT(*ADD) -- to avoid problems with enhanced layouts.  If you (and 
Rochester) 
follow the rules you won't have a problem with updated outfiles.

Using the APIs avoids the issue and probably results in better performance due 
to reduced I/O but at the expense of increased complexity.

Here are some examples of correct processing of outfiles to make the point 
clear:

CL
===
        PGM
        DCLF    QADSPOBJ /*DSPOBJD outfile template */
        DSPOBJD OBJ(*ALL/*ALL) OBJTYPE(*ALL) OUTPUT(*OUTFILE) +
                  OUTFILE(QTEMP/OBJLIST)
        OVRDBF  QADSPOBJ TOFILE(TQEMP/OBJLIST)
READ:   RCVF
        /* do stuff until end of file */
        ENDPGM

RPG with CL driver
==================
        PGM
        DSPOBJD OBJ(*ALL/*ALL) OBJTYPE(*ALL) OUTPUT(*OUTFILE) +
                  OUTFILE(QTEMP/OBJLIST)
        OVRDBF  QADSPOBJ TOFILE(TQEMP/OBJLIST)
        CALL    RPGPGM
        ENDPGM

FQADSPOBJ  IF   E             DISK                                  
C                   READ      QLIDOBJD                              
C                   DOW       NOT(%EOF(QADSPOBJ))                   
 *  Do stuff until end of file
C                   READ      QLIDOBJD                              
C                   ENDDO                                           
C                   SETON                                        LR 
C                   RETURN                                          
        
Regards,
Simon Coulter.

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