RE: RPG SPECIAL exit routines

I know this is an old message, but I'm rather behind on my inbox.

Doesn't the INFDS contain the maximum record length ( I think the offset
into the area is 44 bytes)? I may have to duck for cover here, but the COBOL
OPEN FEEDBACK area has this. I thought the layout of the feedback area (file
information) was the same for any language, but I'm not certain--especially
for SPECIAL files.

Michael Quigley
Computer Services
The Way international
www.TheWay.org

-----Original Message-----
From: RPG400-L <rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of
----------------------------------------------------------------------

message: 1
date: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 09:12:37 -0500
from: dlclark@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
subject: RPG SPECIAL exit routines

This question is a bit more technical than the usual RPG question,

but...

Before the advent of OA handlers, I had a SPECIAL exit routine for

which

the original intent was to allow the programmer to use different record
lengths that suited their needs. But what I found was that I couldn't

tell

(from inside the SPECIAL exit routine) what record length the programmer
had used. Thus, there was "garbage" in the "unused"
portion of the passed record area. I ended up having to force the
programmer to always code the maximum supported record length.

So my question is... Is there a way for a SPECIAL exit routine to

find out

the record length used by an RPG program that invokes it (possibly a

register

that points to the file control blocks)? Then, by extension, is there a

way to

find out the same information within an OA handler?

I need the first answer more than the second but the second would
come in handy, too. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Dave Clark