Re: Keying Program Described Files

Hi,

Ramesh wrote:
>Is it necessary that parts of Composite Key used to Key a Indexed Program
>Described File should be contigious in the record.
>RPG/400 User manual Topic- 7.2.1.1 says it should be continous.
>But we feel it is not necessary that Parts of Key should be continous in
>record even for Program Described Files.
>

You're right - since the key is totally externally described, you
don't have to worry about keeping the individual fields contiguous
in your RPG program.

In addition, don't worry about the "Key field start location" entry
on the F-Spec.  It doesn't do a thing, but since it's required for
indexed files, just code 1.  In ILE RPG IV, we have keyword KEYLOC.
It's totally optional, and if it's coded, we ignore it anyways!

>Is there any way to Key a Program Described Flat File without creating
>External DDS.

No.  If you have some good reason to avoid ext-desc files, you
can always access the file using relative record number.

Cheers!  Hans

Hans Boldt, ILE RPG Development, IBM Toronto Lab, boldt@ca.ibm.com
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