Re: Need to create a view over a physical file - but I don't want to - but I have to

The data will be made accessible as columns with the noted data types via the VIEW. The column definitions as expressions defined over the physical data, and those expressions deriving these typed columns encapsulated in a VIEW, make the typed data available directly to all /reporting services/ that support query of a SQL VIEW.

The real issue is not for /reporting/ the data, but for update and insert of rows, for which INSTEAD OF triggers would probably become a requirement to make such a VIEW more usable.

Regards, Chuck

Aaron Abreu wrote:

Consider the future use of the data, do you want to be locked
into decimal subtr options for the life of this data... If you
may need to access this data easily from crystal, excel, iseries
nav, or other reporting services... I VOTE for redesign in this
case.. A couple of days rebuilding a database could save you
days and headaches down the road... can't say much on the RPG
solution, been too many years now, but I do use the sql
substr/decimal options a lot for data imported from outside
organizations, and it does work just fine.

Alan Shore on 5/7/2010 12:02 PM wrote:

Sorry about the subject description - but I couldn't think of what to put in there that would convey the predicament that I face

I need to create a view over a physical that contains the following fields (believe me - NOT my design)<<SNIP>>