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  2. RPG400-L
  3. January 2007

Re: Rename fields in "I" specs?


On 17/01/2007, at 1:54 AM, David Gibbs wrote:


This is a potentially dumb question ... would renaming a field in an I
spec, of an externally described file, change the way the system handles 
that file?  Possibly making it considered a program described file?
No. What makes a file "externally described" from the system's perspective is the use of DDS (or SQL) to create it. Thus: 

        CRTPF X/Y SRCFILE(*LIBL/QDDSSRC) SRCMBR(Y) ...

results in an externally described file, as does:

        CREATE TABLE ...

but:

        CRTPRF X/Z RCDLEN(132) ...

results in a non-externally described file.

Renaming a field in the program does not alter this distinction.
Defining the file in RPG with an E in the Format column makes it externally-described (and the compiler will look for the external description). Specifying an F in the Format column makes it program-described and the compiler will expect appropriate I and O specs. 

Regards,
Simon Coulter.
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