Re: Update primary filre -- RPG400-L

Charles,

That method seems like there would be a bunch of pitfalls. You mentioned one: totals. I find the RPG functionality is far more elegant than other methods, especially when retrofitting existing programs.

-mark

At 5/3/09 10:19 PM, you wrote:

I don't see the big deal....

You obviously need some process that fills in the limits file...

Instead of writing out the limits file, simply call an RPGLE procedure
( or SQLRPGLE) that processes a single range at a time.

Tada, you're done.

Only only thing would be if for instance you wanted totals across all
ranges. Either return the values from each range and total in the
calling proc or encapsulate the whole process and make use of
protected module level variables to store/return the totals.

Charles

On Fri, May 1, 2009 at 1:12 PM, M. Lazarus <mlazarus@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Jerry,
>
> The key to WHSHDR is 10 long.
> File LIMIT20 has a record length of 20 (which needs to be twice the
> length of the key.)
>
> Let's say I wanted to process 3 ranges of records: Invoice #
> 2000-2111, 2500-2699, 3001-3001. File LIMIT20 would contain records like this:
> 00000020000000002111
> 00000025000000002699
> 00000030010000003001
>
>
> FINVHDR IP E L K DISK
> FLIMIT20 IR F 20 10 DISK RAFDATA(INVHDR)
>
>
> RPG automatically takes care of positioning the file cursor and
> bringing in only the proper records.
>
> Imagine dynamically building an SQL (or OPNQRYF) statement with a
> theoretically unlimited number of range selections!
>
> -mark
>
>
> At 5/1/09 11:43 AM, you wrote:
>>Mark,
>>
>>Apparently I missed that part of the discussion. Still, the concept
>>of a "limits" file does not ring a bell. Would it be possible to
>>put up a few lines of code (F-spec and whatever, and a few lines of
>>Calcs) to jog or enlighten my thinking.
>>
>>Thanks.
>>
>>Jerry C. Adams
>>IBM System i Programmer/Analyst
>>--
>>B&W Wholesale
>>office: 615-995-7024
>>email: jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>>[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of M. Lazarus
>>Sent: Friday, May 01, 2009 9:30 AM
>>To: RPG programming on the IBM i / System i
>>Subject: RE: Update primary filre
>>
>>Jerry,
>>
>> As mentioned earlier, this request is NOT referring a record
>>address file, as would be typically generated by FMTDTA (or by
>>#GSORT). Rather it's referring to a technique where you can specify
>>one or more ranges of keys to process via a "limits" file.
>>
>> This has nothing to do with conserving disk space. Other methods
>>require a lot more code and end up being quite messy when dealing
>>with many ranges of records to select.
>>
>> -mark
>>
>>
>>At 5/1/09 08:15 AM, you wrote:
>> >As someone else said, if we each had $100 to spend on RPG
>> >enhancements, this would not garner $1.
>> >
>> >Old programs that use RAF still work. If anyone is creating new
>> >programs with RAF, they need to move into the 21st century.
>> >
>> >I loved and used RAF's on the /36 because we were limited by disk
>> >space. Today there are more viable options (LF's and SQL DDM just
>> >to name two).
>> >
>> >Jerry C. Adams
>> >IBM System i Programmer/Analyst
>> >--
>> >B&W Wholesale
>> >office: 615-995-7024
>> >email: jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >
>> >
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>> >[mailto:rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of M. Lazarus
>> >Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 8:38 PM
>> >To: RPG programming on the IBM i / System i
>> >Subject: Re: Update primary filre
>> >
>> >Barbara,
>> >
>> > That means that it's more difficult to generate the limits file and
>> >the key lengths need to be hardcoded in the program(s) using it.
>> >
>> > Is there any technical barrier to implementing it "properly"?
>> >
>> > -mark
>> >
>> >
>> >At 4/30/09 09:21 PM, you wrote:
>> > >Jeff Young wrote:
>> > > > ... A Limits file was a file that had a record length of exactly
>> > > > twice the length of the key of the file to be processed. This file
>> > > > contained a From and To key to be processed. The data in this file
>> > > > would be used by the system to read all records in the group
>> > > > represented by the From and To keys. AFIK, this method of processing
>> > > > is only valid for program defined files.
>> > > >
>> > >
>> > >The file to be processed can be an externally-described file (both RPG
>> > >III and RPG IV). The limits file does have to be program defined.