Re: Convert COBOL record layout specs to DDL or PF specs?

Thanks for more points to consider, gentlemen.

Whether I do a direct copy or parse/validate it through a program, it will
eventually wind up in an externally-described file as defined by the COBOL
copybook layout we were given.

highly trusted vendor

Reminded me of a certain Ronald Reagan quote. Lol.

- Dan

On Wed, Jun 1, 2016 at 7:16 AM, Rob Berendt <rob@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Well Buck, you bring up a good point. One of my first COBOL programs in
college was to do exactly that. Bring in one long string and parse it out
and validate each and every part of it before sticking it into columns.
However, IF that is your intent then one should eschew either COBOL or RPG
layouts for your input file. It should be just one long string and then
validated before moving into columns.
And various flavors of COBOL supported different things like, is the minus
sign trailing or leading?

However, for the OP's sake let's assume that he is doing all this and he
just wants the DDL so that he can generate the output file after the
editing is complete.

Or, maybe its like a highly trusted vendor who has an outstanding quality
program. Once you past the initial inspection and quality verification
you find that you no longer need the overhead of validating each shipment
for quality. He can try with an externally defined input file until he
runs into problems.


Rob Berendt
--
IBM Certified System Administrator - IBM i 6.1
Group Dekko
Dept 1600
Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive
Garrett, IN 46738
Ship to: Dock 108
6928N 400E
Kendallville, IN 46755
http://www.dekko.com





From: Buck Calabro <kc2hiz@xxxxxxxxx>
To: midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: 05/31/2016 04:43 PM
Subject: Re: Convert COBOL record layout specs to DDL or PF specs?
Sent by: "MIDRANGE-L" <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx>



On 5/31/2016 4:01 PM, Paul Nelson wrote:

When I've been faced with this kind of thing in the past (usually from
banks), I've gone old school and used an RPG 2 program with the file
internally defined, and then write it out to an externally defined file.

I know this is drifting, but for the archives, ILE RPG (RPG IV) has I
specifications available. The full suite, right down to field record
relation, level breaks and matching record indicators.

If I were doing this, I'd use I-specifications too, and every input
field would be character so that I could test every one for sanity
before trying to write it to a production table. There's nothing worse
than declaring TELENO 10S 0 and discovering that the other end put
dashes in it. Decimal Data Errors are not my friend.

Such I-specifications might be easy to make with a regexp.

--
--buck

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