Re: Need to retrieve deleted records from an AS/400 file

Steve,

>Occasionally, I want to retrieve all of the deleted records from an AS/400
>file.

Go to www.wrkdbf.com and download a copy of WRKDBF.  It includes a copy of UNDEL
which works under the covers.  But it also includes a copy of a command which
iterates over a file and undeletes all deleted records, using UNDEL's MI
program.

>1) where do I find the documentation that I need that describe the internal
>layout of a physical file (both the live file and the format when stored in
>a save file)?

I don't belive the documentation is publicly available.  Although you could try
Leif's book ...

>2) How do programs like UNDEL work against the live file to retrieve deleted
>records?  Is there an API to call for this?

No APIs.  Just some black magic by Dave McKenzie.  Last I knew the source to
UNDEL was still available on the iSeries network website (formerly News/400),
the the freeware / shareware code section

It uses a patched MI program to retrieve the data, than a regular HLL program to
perform a normal write to the file so it gets added back via regular channels.

Doug