RE: Reference files

[Hartman Richard <richard.hartman@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Sorry I forgot a piece of code when I copied this.

REFFLD(NAME)  Should be in the Functions column across from the field in the
physical files DDS.  

Richard

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hartman Richard [SMTP:richard.hartman@brctsg.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2000 1:17 PM
> To:   'RPG400-L@midrange.com'
> Subject:      RE: Reference files
> 
> Here is my definition of a reference file.
> Reference files are a way of defining fields in a file, like the type, and
> length.
> You are probably used to flat files, where the fields were defined in the
> program that used that file. 
> In external described files, you create PF DDS specs for the physical
> files,
> which lists the fields used in the file.
> Instead of listing the type and the length of field in the physical file
> DDS, you can create a reference file and have the physical file reference
> the field in the reference file. (Really good for common fields in files)
> 
> Example
> 
> Reference File
> A          R FREFFIL                                                 
> A              NAME                   30A
>          
> Physical File                        
> A                                      REF(REFFIL) 
>                                                    
> A          R FRECFMT                                          
> A              NAME                R                                
> 
> Then when you compile the reference file and the physical file. The
> physical
> file field "NAME" 
> will retrieve the length and type from the reference file.  This way the
> field attributes stay consistent between files.
> 
> 
> Richard
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:       Sherry McMahon [SMTP:smcm@frontiernet.net]
> > Sent:       Monday, January 03, 2000 5:28 AM
> > To: RPG400-L@midrange.com
> > Subject:    Reference files
> > 
> > Hello everyone,
> > 
> > Thank you for the help with the OMIT option in the SAVLIB command.  It
> > helped me greatly and prompted me to order the 'CL Programming for the
> > IBM'
> > book.
> > 
> > I have another situation I've been wondering about and haven't felt
> > comfortable with the answers I've gotten when I've asked programmers I
> > work
> > with.  I've rewritten Sys36 programs in RPGIV and converted flat files
> to
> > 400 physical files.  (Once again Scott, thank you thank you thank you
> for
> > your help) As I was doing this I saw other files, already AS/400 PF, had
> > reference files.  Everything I could read about reference files told me
> > they
> > were just PFs.  I didn't understand why there were reference files then
> > physical files then logical files.  In my conversions (Y2K) I did away
> > with
> > the reference files and made the system consistent with just having the
> > data
> > in the physical files.  Originally some of the data was in physical
> files
> > and some in the reference files.   All anyone could tell me was this was
> > the
> > SYS36 way and the people before me stayed with what they knew.  The fact
> > that I don't understand why these files were necessary makes me afraid I
> > may
> > have done some harm by doing away with the reference files, although
> > everything is working fine.  As usual the books and online references
> > aren't
> > clear to me.  Could someone give me some insight into this?
> > 
> > Thank you,
> > Sherry McMahon
> > 
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