Re: Help creating a pipe delimited file

On 17-Jul-2014 10:13 -0500, Richard Reeve wrote:

I need to build an extract file from the I that will end up being a
pipe delimited text file. My issues are as follows;

Given this is the RPG list, perhaps the question is directly only, for
how to accomplish the task using RPG [file I\O]? If so, then the rest of
my reply is probably not of interest.


1. There are multiple record types (with unique formats per record

type).

Is that defined as multiple Record Formats of a DDS Logical File (LF),
or perhaps of separate LFs? Or does that describe what is effectively a
Multiple-Format Physical File (MFPF), a file that could be defined with the
Interactive Data Definition Utility (IDDU) using "Record Id Codes" but not
with PF Data Description Specifications; a definition of record data that
often is restricted to being described only by the program(s), due to the
inability of the underlying database support being so flexible?


2. The delimited file needs to be ordered by employee and record

type

The database export utility, the Copy To Import File (CPYTOIMPF)
command, added the capability to specify an ORDER BY clause.

While such data of varying formats\layouts probably could be exported
into _one_ text file, the import of that data from one text stream may be
somewhat problematic if the variability of the formats can not be
represented generically across the records of delimited data. The Copy
From Import File (CPYFRMIMPF) utility would certainly be challenged to
import the data from one Stream File (STMF) without multiple passes or with
use of an INSTEAD OF trigger on a VIEW.


I am struggling to come up with an efficient way of doing this. Any

thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Given the physical descriptions, both of the file [possibly
program-described, defined with only a Record Length (RCDLEN) attribute to
define the Record Format (RCDFMT)?] and of the data layout for each "record
type", plus any existing logical file [DDS LF or VIEW] definitions over the
data, then a reviewer might be able to offer some specific ideas rather
than either very high-level suggestions or possibly even recommendations
that are incompatible with the situation due to their lack of understanding
the scenario. I am for example, firstly not entirely sure I understand
what is implied about the data layout, and secondly unsure if\how that data
is defined to the system _outside of a program_ such that the database [and
various utilities] would even have any clue about accessing the columnar
data by [field] name.

--
Regards, Chuck

--
This is the RPG programming on the IBM i (AS/400 and iSeries) (RPG400-L)
mailing list
To post a message email: RPG400-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/rpg400-l
or email: RPG400-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives
at http://archive.midrange.com/rpg400-l.