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Vincent,
The internally described method will still work & it does not mater whether the data is character or numeric. It is just a string of data. Printing it out means that you would have to define the printed fields.
What you say is true. However, if he used an externally described file with an externally described data structure, he could do EXACTLY the same thing you're talking about, and compare all of the data as a big string, just as your talking about.
But, since he made it externally defined, it'd already be broken into fields if he wanted to use them. And if the layout of the file changed, he could upgrade his code simply by recompiling the program, he wouldn't have to go in and change it.
So why recommend a program described solution, when the externally defined one does the same things and more?
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