RE: Select from [file with multiple record formats]

Ted Barry wrote:

>I've never had to deal with this one
>until now...  Is it possible to select
>and/or even update a file with multiple
>record formats?

Maybe.  If you have packed numbers to update it gets harder - you'd probably
have to write your own UDFs.  Anyway, treat the record as a giant character
string and "select" based on a substring.  If your header records all have a
"1" in column 123 then you can select the headers with

select * from flatfile where substr(flatfile, 123, 1) = '1'

You update the same way.  Let's say you need to change that "1" to a "A"

update flatfile set flatfile = substr(flatfile,1,122)
       concat "A" concat substr(flatfile,124,length_of_rest_of_record)
       where substr(flatfile,123,1)='1'

Conceptually, you're building an entire new flat record composed of the
first part of the record concatenated with the changed columns concatenated
with the last part of the record.

I only do this in extreme cases, like being on a system without a compiler.
  --buck