Re: Managing one physical file with several subfile record formats

Scott

I can only claim haste and non-use for missing the right terms - thanks for clarifying this.

And I think I mentioned to Peter Dow that I was thinking of the default for free-form file specs - I wouldn't even think about using program described these days - we have some old code that handles different record types from banks.

Cheers
Vern

On 6/21/2023 6:48 PM, Scott Klement wrote:

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