Re: External Data Areas - Multiple Companies, One Program

[Stephen Coyle <stephenfcoyle@xxxxxxxxx>]

You could use the library list.
Create a unique library for the new company.
Create a duplicate object of the data area in the new library. Modify data
area contents as needed.
Insert this library at the top of your *LIBL.

Of course this only works if the object is not qualfied...

Hope that helps...
- Steve

On Fri, Feb 8, 2019 at 9:18 AM Jerry Adams <midrange@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

> The discussion the other day on data structures brought to mind a problem
> that I have been working on regarding data areas.  I used a data area to
> function as a sort of "truth table" for our company.  O read it into a
> program to determine if the next (or following) step is ready.
>
>
>
> Works fine, but the owner decided that he wants to add a new company.
> There
> will be, I am sure, some new programs for it, but the basic back office
> processing is pretty much the same.  So I am modifying the programs to
> access the file depending upon the company.  That's relatively easy.
>
>
>
> The issue with the data area on disk is that I have not been able to find a
> way in the manuals (that I understood, anyway) to access different data
> areas.  For example, a disk file can have a EXTFILE(some-name) with USROPN
> that I then use to define that "some-name" before I open the file.  I
> cannot
> find anything similar for data areas on disk.
>
>
>
> I could, I know, just define two data areas in the program(s) and then use
> the same method I'm using for files to determine which data area to read.
> But looking ahead, I wanted to make it flexible so that the next time he
> sets up a new company, I will not have to go back into the program.  I
> could, for example, easily change it to a data file.  But wondered if there
> were any minimal coding changes that would accomplish the same effect.
>
>
>
> Any ideas/thoughts welcomed.
>
>
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
> Jerry C. Adams
>
> Do what is right because it is right, and leave it alone. -Chiune Sugihara
>
> IBM i Programmer/Analyst
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