Re: Opening the same file twice in the same program?

On 8/1/23 2:10 PM, Justin Taylor wrote:

Sounds like you're doing RPG RLA and want two File specs using the same
PF. Check out the EXTFILE File spec keyword.

It worked. Thanks. I didn't think it would be this simple, but it almost is. "Almost" because it also needs an EXTDESC and a RENAME, i.e. (note that spaces are squeezed out for email purposes):

FFOOBAR IP E DISK EXTDESC('FOO/FOOBAR')
F EXTFILE(*EXTDESC)
F RECNO(RRN)
FBOZBAR UF E DISK EXTDESC('FOO/FOOBAR')
F EXTFILE(*EXTDESC)
F RENAME(FOOREC:BOZREC)

(I'm even using an EXTDESC and EXTFILE on the primary, for absolute LIBL-independence, and there's also a RECNO clause on the primary, because the PF is unkeyed, and there's no key that's especially useful.)

And Jon, my attitude about riding The Cycle is that you should use any language feature that you find useful, especially if it's idiomatic and/or unique to the language. And there's probably nothing in RPG that's more idiomatic or unique to the language than The Cycle. So why walk when you can ride?

That's not to say that I've ever found secondary files to be even remotely useful enough to be worth figuring out how to use them.

--
JHHL