Re: DB2 Table: Is there any valid reason to create a zoned decimal column?

Vern,
Most of us know how to read DSPPFM. And there are function keys to unstack
the packing. However you cannot search by the unstacked and, apparently
that is what some people are doing and why they prefer zoned. I would
argue that if your files are defined with individual fields and not with
RCDLEN(256) then there are better tools to look for a number than DSPPFM.
And even if you know how to read packed, or zoned, neither will handle the
lack of the explicit decimal point in ftp to heterogeneous systems.

On Sat, Sep 9, 2023 at 4:56 PM Vern Hamberg via MIDRANGE-L <
midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

And if it's packed, it will be x'12345F' if it's defined as 5,2 - in
DSPPGM just press F10 + F11 and see

135
24F

or

0135
024F

if 6,2

hey, the digits are there, if you bob your head up and down a little -
and no decimal point, of course.

On 9/9/2023 3:31 PM, Rob Berendt wrote:

I think you missed my point. 123.45 will look like x'F1F2F3F4F5' and

there

will be nothing for the decimal as it is implied. So if I ftp that over

to

a PC it will appear as 12345. Therefore zoned decimal brings nothing to
that party.

On Sat, Sep 9, 2023 at 12:32 PM <smith5646midrange@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"And, as far as transferring flat files to heterogeneous environments
goes, implied decimal positions seen with zoned decimal isn't going to

be

any easier than packed decimal. Both will need to go through a download
tool to convert or something like CPYTOIMPF."

I have to disagree with that statement. FTP will automatically convert
EBCDIC to ASCII. Therefore, EBCDIC zoned F1F2F3 automatically converts

to

ASCII 313233 but EBCIDC packed 123F does not convert to anything
intelligent in ASCII.

-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of

Rob

Berendt
Sent: Saturday, September 9, 2023 8:55 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <

midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Subject: Re: DB2 Table: Is there any valid reason to create a zoned
decimal column?

Are people still using files without column definitions? Where they
simply do a CRTPF MYFILE RCDLEN(256) and use RPG to define the field
positions?
Otherwise I cannot fathom the glory of DSPPFM to find numerics.

And, as far as transferring flat files to heterogeneous environments

goes,

implied decimal positions seen with zoned decimal isn't going to be any
easier than packed decimal. Both will need to go through a download

tool

to convert or something like CPYTOIMPF.

On Fri, Sep 8, 2023 at 4:25 PM Osborne, Wynn <
Wynn.Osborne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi all,

This question arose within me while putting together some database
standards for my team.
I cannot think of valid reason why I would ever this

What about you? Have you come across a scenario where this was good

choice?

Regards,

Wynn Osborne
Senior IBM i Programmer-Analyst,Database Administrator The Villages


--
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing

list

To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at https://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.

Please contact support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for any subscription

related

questions.

--
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing

list

To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at https://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.

Please contact support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for any subscription

related

questions.


--
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing

list

To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at https://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.

Please contact support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for any subscription

related

questions.

--
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing list
To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at https://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.

Please contact support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for any subscription related
questions.