RE: Knotty puzzle with chaining to files not known at compile time

["Cassidy, Alan" <CassidyA@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> From Kevin Wright:   3. Use embedded SQL to do a SELECT INTO for each file and 
> then determine which one at run time. This would only need to mention the 
> fields that you know about.  4. Use the C native IO routines _Ropen, _RLocate 
> & _Rclose.

aec..>> It's been another long thread, but in case it hasn't been said and 
helps....

Although I would probably settle for using the C routines, in part just for 
practice in new things, it seems to me like there another couple of 
possibilities. 

James said they can know the name of the file at runtime, which this assumes 
means he'll know the different field names as well of course. 

(a)Include an F-spec for each of the three files, with USROPN, process by Keys, 
as if they were there, including also a RENAME() on the record formats and a 
PREFIX() keyword if there are any name overlaps. 

(b)Set up three different keylists for the three different files. 

(c)Condition the open on which one is known at runtime to exist on the same 
system, and condition your CHAIN to the three files by the same condition. 

---This assumes also of course that you don't need to actually compile the 
program on the target machines, in which case you'll probably use the 
C-language APIs. 

--Alan