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

Acktually...

Not that I would ever use DSPPFM to search for records, but you can search for packed numerics using a hex string, e.g., X'023F'. Ugly AF, but there it is.

- Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Rob Berendt
Sent: Saturday, September 9, 2023 6:14 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: DB2 Table: Is there any valid reason to create a zoned decimal column?

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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

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