Re: Managing one physical file with several subfile record formats

[Scott Klement <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Vern,

Being pedantic for a moment...    the term is "program described" 
(meaning described in the program) vs. "externally defined" (defined 
outside the program.)  Not "internally described" -- though, of course, 
I knew what you meant.

With regards to free format -- it's completely possible for them to be 
program-described.  You can't write I or O specs in free format, but you 
can still use data structures to read/write data to/from 
program-described files.

Good luck

On 6/21/23 6:40 AM, Vern Hamberg via RPG400-L wrote:
> Hi Dave
>
> Should I assume that your physical file is internally described? 
> Therefore, you are using fixed format? Free format file descriptions 
> have to be externally described.
>
> Anyhow, with internal descriptions, we have I-specs with record 
> identifiers - this is old school, I've not used this for decades, I 
> think!   :)  And then there would be indicators, IIRC. Nowadays you 
> can give names to some indicators, maybe, for this purpose.
>
> I did look at the SFILE keyword documentation - 
> https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/i/7.3?topic=keywords-sfilerecformatrrnfield#fsfile 
> - you can see whether there is any way to use variables.
>
> Regards
> Vern