Re: SQL or not?

On 17 Dec 2012 16:13, Keith McCully wrote:

Actually, I tried CPYF *MAP first of all. Got a message complaining
that the number of fields didn't match between the files.

Does CPYF *MAP only work if ALL fields in the TO file get populated
from the FROM file? I believe it's okay to have additional fields in
FROM file that are not in the TO file but those could be removed
using the *DROP option.

The CPYF FMTOPT(*MAP) does indeed require that all fields in the TOFILE exist in the FROMFILE. The CPYF FMTOPT(*NONE) does too, but also requires the formats are effectively identical [see parameter help text for the special value *NONE] such that no "mapping" is required between the fields of the same name.

To effect both mapping *and* ignoring any /extra/ fields in the FROMFILE [into which no field exists for the data to be mapped], include the *DROP special value along with the *MAP special value on the Format Option (FMTOPT) parameter [which allows multiple, compatible, element specifications]; i.e. use:
CPYF FMTOPT(*MAP *DROP)

Unfortunately [in v5r3 anyhow] the CPF2965 does not allude to the above combination of special values as an additional possibility for recovery; i.e. suggesting only that recovery would be possible specifying either "FMTOPT(*DROP) or FMTOPT(*NOCHK)" :-(