RE: File keyed on a date field: the read doesn't actually get anything! What am I doing wrong?

The source code at toast.net differs a bit from your OP. Just looking at that page, I would expect all those SETGT/READs to read a record and %EOF should be off. Is that not the case?

Where are you setting your debug breakpoints when checking the value of SMLASTDATE? Maybe insert a DUMP(A) after every EVAL?

Can you answer Charles' question?

- Dan Bale

-----Original Message-----
From: RPG400-L <rpg400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of James H. H. Lampert via RPG400-L
Sent: Wednesday, January 7, 2026 3:55 PM
To: RPG programming on IBM i <rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: James H. H. Lampert <jamesl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: File keyed on a date field: the read doesn't actually get anything! What am I doing wrong?

On 1/7/26 12:38 PM, Dan Bale via RPG400-L wrote:

Per your update, JAN31 = D'2017-01-31'

Stupid question, but are there any records with a SMLASTDATE date earlier than D'2017-01-31'?

Not a stupid question at all. (My high school woodshop teacher was fond of saying that the only dumb question is the one that doesn't get asked.)

The first record in the PF (which is the last one in the descending LF) is keyed D'2017-02-04.' The last record in the PF (which is the first in the LF) is keyed 2028-12-30.

And my four test key fields have INZ clauses of

INZ(D'2017-04-25')
INZ(D'2017-01-31')
INZ(D'2017-02-04')
INZ(D'2017-02-05')

on their D-specs.

If I were using the descending logical, JAN31 should have retrieved nothing at all, but the other three should have retrieved *something.*

I get the same results whether the key (theoretically) should get a hit or not, whether it's the ascending PF or the descenging LF, whether I use a SETGT or a SETLL, and whether I use a READ or a READP. SMLASTDATE always comes up D'0001-01-01'.

--
JHHL

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