Re: Level check failures: how much change to a file?

Changing the /descriptive text/ attributes of [database] file fields [e.g. LABEL ON against a column] of a [database] file format will not change the Format Level Identifier. Note: an exception may exist when an existing file is being modified or re-created from source, and the prior version of the file has an incorrect level hash due to a past defect.

The intent of the Level Check is to identify changes to the format of the data [fields] that would impact the program for its I/O. Changes to the descriptive text has no impact on I/O. But changes to field names, field order, data length & precision, and data type should impact the hash generated for the Record Format Level Identifier. See:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r3/index.jsp?topic=/dm/rbal3detectdesc.htm

Note: If a change is made for which a level change is appropriate, but for which the hash is identical to the prior change-level of the format, the onus is on the developer to make another change which forces the level identifier to change; i.e. a hash can not be guaranteed to be unique. In my experience changing only one field in a file between the data types zoned decimal and character without also changing the field length, is most likely to exhibit the same hash.

Regards, Chuck

James Lampert wrote:

It's kind of embarrassing to have to ask this, after over a decade grinding out AS/400 code, but:

How much of a change to a file can you make, before it fails a level
check?

Can you change field text and/or column headings without killing it?

I'd kind of like to know before I start.