Re: Printing to a disk file?

On 25/04/2009, at 2:44 AM, Dave Boettcher wrote:

Has anyone ever seen a printer file designated as a disk file in a RPGLE program?

Yes, and in previous dialects of RPG too. Usually indicates a coding defect because your output won't magically end up in a disk file.

The F spec looks like this:

ferrctrec o e disk

I spent some time searching for the file be fore I discoverred that it was a printer file.

And it still amazes me that it is used as a print file and labelled disk in the f spec.

Anyone else seen this?

RPG doesn't care what type of file you actually use. Consider that you cannot have a printer file, display file, or database file with the same name in the same library. Therefore only one instance of a file with the specified name will be found by the compiler. The compiler uses the DISK, PRINTER, and WORKSTN keywords (in conjunction with I/O/ U/C) simply to limit/verify the particular operations your code attempts to perform on that file. It doesn't verify that the file it found matches the device type you specified. The compiler only cares that:

a) the TYPE specified is appropriate for the DEVICE specified
b) the operation codes in the program are appropriate for the TYPE
c) an appropriate DESIGNATION is specified for certain TYPEs

Although the compiler will allow you to code a READ operation on a file specified as DISK (as long as I/U is also coded) Common Data Management won't allow a PRTF to be opened for READ so you'll get a run-time error.

If you want to redirect program printer output into a disk file then use an override. I suggest fixing the code to indicate the proper device type.

Regards,
Simon Coulter.
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