Re: Reference files

The Field Reference File is just a plain old physical file, but it should
not have had any data records in it.  They are created strictly for the
purpose of centralizing all your data field definitions in one place.  Then,
as you create other "real" physical files, they can refer to the reference
file for their field definitions.  Keeps definitions consistent across all
your files.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sherry McMahon" <smcm@frontiernet.net>
To: <RPG400-L@midrange.com>
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2000 6:27 AM
Subject: Reference files


> Hello everyone,
>
> Thank you for the help with the OMIT option in the SAVLIB command.  It
> helped me greatly and prompted me to order the 'CL Programming for the
IBM'
> book.
>
> I have another situation I've been wondering about and haven't felt
> comfortable with the answers I've gotten when I've asked programmers I
work
> with.  I've rewritten Sys36 programs in RPGIV and converted flat files to
> 400 physical files.  (Once again Scott, thank you thank you thank you for
> your help) As I was doing this I saw other files, already AS/400 PF, had
> reference files.  Everything I could read about reference files told me
they
> were just PFs.  I didn't understand why there were reference files then
> physical files then logical files.  In my conversions (Y2K) I did away
with
> the reference files and made the system consistent with just having the
data
> in the physical files.  Originally some of the data was in physical files
> and some in the reference files.   All anyone could tell me was this was
the
> SYS36 way and the people before me stayed with what they knew.  The fact
> that I don't understand why these files were necessary makes me afraid I
may
> have done some harm by doing away with the reference files, although
> everything is working fine.  As usual the books and online references
aren't
> clear to me.  Could someone give me some insight into this?
>
> Thank you,
> Sherry McMahon
>
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