RE: Dual Format

We have done this for our bank and ACH transactions.  Sorry, the S36 flat
file is the easiest way.  We actually open a tape file and write the header
record, sub header, detail, sub totals, sub header, sub totals, file totals.
Ugly but that is what they are processing..so one must fit the data to the
application.  We also write a native data base using multiple physicals for
our own keyed use.  We used external described file to build data structures
for writing to the flat sequential file.


Have fun,

Christopher K. Bipes     mailto:ChrisB@Cross-Check.com
Sr. Programmer/Analyst   mailto:Chris_Bipes@Yahoo.com
CrossCheck, Inc.         http://www.cross-check.com
6119 State Farm Drive    Phone: 707 586-0551 x 1102
Rohnert Park CA  94928 Fax: 707 586-1884

*Note to Recruiters
Neither I, nor anyone that I know of, is interested in any new and/or
exciting positions. Please do not contact me.


-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Langston [mailto:jlangston@conexfreight.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2000 3:06 PM
To: RPG400-L@midrange.com
Subject: Dual Format


Our bank wants us to send them a file with all our check
information.  Their file layout is a dual file layout, with a
control record and a detail record (their program that
reads this is obviously a COBOL program since they
describe the length and such as PICTURE like 9(08)V99).

I am trying to decide the best way to do this.  I was hoping
to be able to get away with creating two files, one for the
header and one for the detail, then just copy them to one
file before I transmitted it, but now I see I am going to have
to create many header records.

I don't like the thought of back stepping and doing it S36 style
with file described files either.  I was thinking about a multi-format
logical, but there are not unique fields in the files to be able to
key them on.

I think I am going to have to open up the 2 files I created with DDS
just for the record layouts, then do some type of overlay to get the
record layout into the fixed length field of the un-DDSed file (the one
I will be writing too).

Can anyone think of a better way?  If not, could someone give me
an example of how to do what I am trying to do?  That is, over lay the
40 bytes of my DDS to another field.  The DDS is externally described,
so is not in my program itself.  I am dealing with a small number of
fields,
7 in each of the header and details.

Regards,

Jim Langston
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