RE: ACCEPT and the INFDS

["Richard Casey" <casey_r@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Joe,

The INFDS has a fixed set of information followed by file-dependent
information. You can find the format of the OPEN-FEEDBACK and I-O-FEEDBACK
data areas in appendix A.2 of the Data Management Guide (in InfoCenter).

The fixed portion of the I-O-FEEDBACK area is 144 bytes. The length of the
file-dependent portion depends on the type of file :) - 80 for ICF and
display files, 38 for printer files, variable for database files (depends on
keys and null value fields).

Don't know of a syntax in COBOL to determine the length of a group field. If
you compile your program with OPTION(*MAP), the compile listing will include
a map of the data division which includes the length of each field.

Moving fields works from left-to-right so your move of a 100-character
FIELDA to a 75-character FIELDB will move the first 75 characters of FIELDA
into FIELDB. Moving a group field also ignores the field types of the
individual subfields so watch out for your numeric fields!

Hope this helps!
Richard

-----Original Message-----
From: cobol400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:cobol400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Joe Pluta
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2003 10:49 AM
To: COBOL Programming on the iSeries/AS400
Subject: ACCEPT and the INFDS


Hi everyone!

I'm back with newbie question number 736: the file informational data
structure.  I've gotten to the point where I think I understand that you
have to do an ACCEPT which transfers the contents of the INFDS to a working
storage buffer.

My question is this: is the layout of that working storage buffer fixed, or
are the names significant?  The one I've seen has a bunch of filler fields,
which leads me to think that the names are not significant, but that the
positions are.

Even more newbie, what's the length of the data structure?  Is it like RPG,
where the longer you specify the more fields you get?  Or is there a fixed
length it needs to be?  And as a simple corollary, is there a syntax in
COBOL that will get me the length of a field that has subfields?

And finally, in a blinding burst of newbieness, say I have two 01-level
fields, both with lots of 05 and 10 subfields.  FIELDA is 100 characters,
FIELDB is 75.  If I MOVE FIELDA TO FIELDB, does this move the first 75 bytes
(positions 1-75) of FIELDA to FIELDB, or the last 75 (positions 26-100)?
I'm pretty sure its the former, but this whole thing has confused me no end.

Okay, now.  Stop laughing.  Get off the floor.

Joe