Re: Assigning a review month, algorithm question

How about dividing the total number of records by 12 and multiplying by month number-1,

Start = Int( records /12 ) * (Month - 1) + 1 // month one starts at record 1

Then position to RRN Start, (using arrival sequence, not keyed sequence)

Then

RecordsToRead = Int( records /12 )
Do RecordsToRead
Read FileFormat
...
EndDo

That way, you read 1/12 of the records in the file each time. In January you read the oldest records, in December you read the newest records.
Alternatively, you could start at record Month, and reposition 12 records ahead each time before you do the next read, again using arrival sequence

In a message dated 02/12/08 22:06:36 Jerusalem Standard Time, WiltC@xxxxxxxxxx writes:
Ok put your thinking caps on!



I've got a file with the following keys...

Location

Contract #

Item Number



What I need to do is assign a review month to each contract in such a manner that approximately 1/12
the locations totals items are reviewed each month.



I've thought of a brute-force type method.

1) Get totals grouped by location, contract

2) Figure 1/12 the location's total items

3) Add contracts for a location to a given month till you get close to the number in step 2



But I was curious if anybody had a more elegant method?



Note I'm dealing with 150,000 contacts containing 1.5 million items at 118 locations. Some locations
have 50,000+ plus, some < 100.



I've also looked at randomly assigning contracts to the review month. That's pretty easy to do, and
it's not to bad but there are discrepancies in the # of items reviewed each much since there's some
contracts could have 10 items and others 100s or 1000s.



Thanks!



Charles Wilt

Software Engineer

CINTAS Corporation - IT 92B

513.701.1307

wiltc@xxxxxxxxxx <mailto:wiltc@xxxxxxxxxx>




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