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

The Cycle is all but deprecated in the **FREE format code.
**FREE is the future.


You can easily open the same file twice in Free format RPGLE.

You can use LIKEFILE and define them both in the mainline.

You can also define the file again in a sub procedure without any special overrides.

**FREE
Dcl-F FOOBAR Keyed block(*No);
Dcl-F BOZBAR LIKEFILE(FOOBAR);
Dcl-ds INFOOBAR EXTNAME('FOOBAR':*INPUT) Qualified End-ds;

Dcl-s key packed(3);

Dou %EOF(FOOBAR);
READ FOOBAR;
IF %EOF(FOOBAR);
LEAVE;
Endif;


SETLL (KEY) BOZBAR;
Dou %EOF(BOZBAR);
READE (KEY) BOZBAR INFOOBAR;
IF %EOF(BOZBAR);
LEAVE;
Endif;


Process( key);
Enddo;
Enddo;
Process( );
*INLR = *ON;
RETURN;


Dcl-Proc PROCESS;
Dcl-Pi *N;
key packed(3) options(*nopass);
End-pi;
// Reduce open/close by coding file as static, then include call to close file.
Dcl-F FOOBAR Keyed Static usropn;
Dcl-ds INFOOBAR EXTNAME('FOOBAR':*INPUT) Qualified End-ds;

If %parms() < %parmnum(key);
If %open(FOOBAR);
close FOOBAR;
Endif;
return;
Endif;

If not %open(FOOBAR);
open FOOBAR;
Endif;
Chain (KEY) FOOBAR INFOOBAR;


End-proc;


--
Chris Hiebert
Senior Programmer/Analyst
Disclaimer: Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company.

From: RPG400-L <rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of James H. H. Lampert via RPG400-L
Sent: Tuesday, August 1, 2023 4:00 PM
To: RPG programming on IBM i <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: James H. H. Lampert <jamesl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Opening the same file twice in the same program?



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