Re: accessing QS3F data by utilities and 4GLs - where do they see the field layout ?

From: Steven Spencer
When  QS36F library data  is accessed, if it is sequential the
operating system has it defined as one big field, F00001.

I understand. F00001 is not very meaningful meta data.

The OS will add the key fields, so perhaps you can have a total
of seven fields defined, something like :
F00001, K00001. F00002. K00002, F00003 K00003, F00004.

Again, not very meaningful.

However, the RPG programs have internally defined this as
maybe 50 or 100 fields.

I understand that was common in the S/36 environment.

So the utility must be explicitly told not to use the OS data,
but to use either :
1) DDS, IDDU, or F&I
2) data dictionary, e.g. one that is in the utility program

Based on your earlier messages, I gather that you only use "F" and "I" specs in RPG II source members.

If you actually did have DDS or IDDU data definitions, that would be much easier to work with. In the case of DDS, you could just compile it. Then your files would be externally defined, and would be accessible from all sorts of utilities.

If you had IDDU data definitions, then that would be pretty easy to work with too. In our case, we could import that into our data dictionary and generate SQL DDL, which would arguably be an even better way to externally define your database.

For example, here's a link to an SQL DDL file that we generated from an import from Excel provided by the Utah State Office of Education:

http://www.radile.com/rdweb/temp/utxi100.txt


While you may not be familiar with SQL DDL syntax, it becomes easier the more you work with it. We generate a source member, then use RUNSQLSTMT to create a physical file.

-Nathan