Re: PF - variable length records

[email@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (James W Kilgore)]

Deb,

I concur with Jim, by AS/400 (and any relational data base management
system) standards, you are not talking about one file but two.

Different formats = different physical files.

IMO, don't even waste your time going down the multiformat join/record
selector program paradigm.

For batch process, as Jim states, join them.  Or (shudder <g>) use MR to
process the two files.  For interactive, rethink the logic.

For your own edification, you may try searching the net for data base
normalization.  You will find good guidelines (but not the "law") on
dealing with parent/child information organization.

==========================================================
Jim Langston wrote:
> 
> Don't.
> 
> Use two files and logically join them, or just chain to them.
> 
> That type of file you are describing, one file with two different record 
>formats,
> 
<snip>
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Jim Langston
> ==============================================================
> "Turner, Deb" wrote:
> 
> > Can someone give me the jest of how to define 1 physical file with variable
> > record lengths?  I'm  thinking we use different record formats.  
<snip>
> >
> > i.e.
> > this is a header record 23 long
> > this is a detail record that needs to be 70 long
> >
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