Re: Selective Copy of members in RPG

Thanks Dave,

I went that direction but then found this rule

If name ( factor 2 )refers to an externally-described file or a record format from an externally described file, the data structure must be a data structure defined with EXTNAME ( http://127.0.0.1:27514/help/topic/com.ibm.etools.iseries.ilerpg.ref.f1.doc/topics/dextnam.htm#dextnam )(...:*INPUT or *ALL) or LIKEREC ( http://127.0.0.1:27514/help/topic/com.ibm.etools.iseries.ilerpg.ref.f1.doc/topics/dlikerec.htm#dlikerec )(...:*INPUT or *ALL).

I took that as - only program described files can be read into a generic DS.

Then I went way off the edge and contemplated doing a READ, looping with each format name until I had a match, then read one last time with the correct DS.

Or do a read, see what format I get with the I/O ds, then readp with the correct DS.

I figured there is a better more sophisticated way, I just didn't know what it was.

<dlclark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 10/22/2019 9:48 AM >>>

"RPG400-L" <rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote on 10/16/2019
11:23:02 AM:

Trying to replace an old routine with something a little more
modern. I suspect a simple solution, just have not quite worked it out.

What is the best and greatest way to get RPGLE **FREE to selectively
( from a value in each format ) copy records from 1 member to
another. Reading a LF with 9 PF's under it, with 9 different formats.

The problem is my limited understanding of what various DS
arrangements can do.

I tried a READ with a DS specified as the result, but realized I
needed to know what format I was going to need before the READ. Like
I said, limited understanding.

Thought I would ask before the trial and error phase begins.

All **FREE.

You don't need to know the format you're going to read *before*
you read it. You just need to use a generic read that places the data
into an open character variable as long as the longest format. Then, a
file information data structure can tell you which format was just read.

From that, you can move the character variable to the appropriate data

structure to map out the individual fields.


Sincerely,

Dave Clark