Re: How might I deal with a physical file with a record Format name of "S.JOBMAST"

The "native" rules do not allow the period in the format [or field] name\naming rules. It was an oversight in the transition to OS/400 from CPF, when the new object name rules enabled the period [to be able to match SSP naming rules]. The /create database file/ processing did not /scrub/ that name when building a program-described file with a given name; a defect since inception of the OS. In that code path the MBR() [and RCDFMT() which is not externally available] parameters default to *FILE, meaning to use the name on the FILE() parameter. So CRTPF FILE(S.JOB) MBR(*FILE) creates a file by that name, with a member by that same name, with a record format by that same name, and with one field by that same name. The BLDFILE does effectively the same, but that interface generates proper field name(s) [but I thought it always gave a common format name, without any period].

There should be no issue when performing entirely within the S/36 environment using BLDINDEX over the BLDFILE. If using CRTPF then first create the file with a name that is valid as a field name, then rename the file to the desired name; the format and field name will be the original\valid name.

Since the LF DDS will specify the R-spec in position 17 and the record format from position 19, it is not clear to me what the concern is. Is there some error in CRTLF when a valid name is specified, or is there some reason felt necessary to carry\specify the invalid format name from the physical to the R-Spec? FWiW both being a physical file and being /program described/, its format name should be moot; i.e. only record length should be relevant.? I suppose possibly an issue could be that the record format level ID is being copied and level checked for non-S/36 programs [possibly due to an improper reference to its faux external description]? An LF over a true program-described file would be difficult, and I can not think of any valid reason, to keep the same description and thus its format level identifier. Regardless, it is something to be circumvented, because as I noted, it has been a defect from the origin -- the defect was closed as a /restriction/ since no known consequences were noteworthy.

Regards, Chuck

Booth Martin wrote:

How might I deal with a physical file with a record Format name
of "S.JOBMAST" (A QS36F file)

I have never seen a record format with a punctuation mark in it.
I am attempting to create a logical over this file and it is not
allowing me to use the format name as-is. Any ideas?