Re: Variable length file

[Jon Paris <jon.paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Sev 20 warning is because you forgot to factor in the 2 byte  
length for the varying length field. Really you should be coding  
VARLEN(170) if you anticipate that to be the average.

But the cause of the problem is probably that you have not set the  
length of the varying length field - so even though you place the data  
in the buffer a zero length is what will be written. I can't recall  
what the generated name for the field will be but a look at the COBOL  
listing will tell you.  You also need to move the data to the field  
name - not the rec. Or if you want to use a WS definition for the  
field then it must also have the field length defined. Using COPY DDS  
for its definition is the best approach.


Jon Paris

www.Partner400.com
www.SystemiDeveloper.com



On Nov 29, 2010, at 1:39 PM, <msmith6@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I am trying to create a variable length file on the iSeries.  The  
> records can vary from about 56 to 502 character with the average  
> record length of about 170 characters.  I have to use DDS for this  
> rather than SQL, so here's my file description.
>
> File is VARTEST
>    R  VARRECORD
> A   fieldname      0502      VARLEN(56)
>
>
> In the COBOL program
>
> FILE-CONTROL.
>        SELECT VT
>          ASSIGN TO DATABASE-VARTEST
>          ORGANIZATION IS SEQUENTIAL
>          ACCESS MODE  IS SEQUENTIAL
>          FILE STATUS IS WS-FILE-STAT.
>
> FD  VT
>    RECORD CONTAINS 56  TO 504 CHARACTERS.
> 01  VARIABLE-REC.
>     COPY DDS-ALL-FORMATS OF VARTEST.
>
> WORKING-STRAGE SECTION.
> 01 WS-REC-1                        PIC X(55)  VALUE "1".
>
>
> PROCEDURE DIVISION
> OPEN OUTPUT VT.
>
> MOVE WS-REC-1 TO VARRECORD.
> WRITE VARIABLE-REC.
>
>
> CLOSE VT.
>
> When I compile I get the following Warnings (not 'errors')
>    2  MSGID: LNC0810  SEVERITY: 10  SEQNBR:  000300
>       Message . . . . :   Module name 'VARRECTST1' does not match  
> outermost
>         PROGRAM-ID name 'VARRECTST'. Accepted.
>   20  MSGID: LNC0852  SEVERITY:  0  SEQNBR:  001525
>       Message . . . . :   RECORD clause gives range of record  
> lengths. 506
>         will be used.
>   21  MSGID: LNC0853  SEVERITY: 20  SEQNBR:  001528
>       Message . . . . :   Length 506 for record 'VARIABLE-REC' outside
>         specified range. Accepted.
>
>
>
> I never get anything in the output file.  Not sure if I have a  
> stupid, D'oh COBOL problem or if there is something unusual in the   
> messages/variable file that I'm not catching.
>
>
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