IBM Mainframe Forum

I am writing a COBOL program to compare two files(sorted) Curr-file & Prev File.Both have layout as PersonID,DependentId,RelationType.

Single PersonId may have multiple DependentId with various relationship Types.

Whenever there is a change in RelationType I need to write a new o/p file as below.
PersonID,DependentId,RelationType, ADD/CHG/DEL, (--> need to add a indicator at end like ADD/CHG/DEL).
If there is no change in record then dont write.

Example :-

Prev-file have 10 records with one PersonId with various relationship Types for different DependentId
Curr File have 12 records with
6 unchanged records
2 new DependentId(which are not exists in prev file) and 2 new relation types
3 records have just change in relation types with old DependentId(as prev file)

Result file should contain

ADD - 2 records
CHG - 3 records
DEL - 1 record

I looked at example program ibm-cobol/file-match-merge-sample-code-t881.html, looks like it may not work as my file contains duplicate PersonId. Can anyone help me with some ideas?
Thanks.

You can adapt the code for duplicates.

However, what I do when matching with duplicates (and even with lesser excuse) is what I call a "sideways" two-file-match (also use for an ordinary match if I don't have an example to base it on).

Instead of reading both files at the same time, one file is the "driver". So in the logic for processing that file, you can have anything you need just like you were processing a single file. What you also have available to the current record on that file is the current record on the second file. You use the key-value comparison between the two files.

If file 1 < file 2, record only on file 1
if file 1 = file 2, match
otherwise, go "sideways" until file 2 not less than file 1 - which means process file 2 separately and independently, for record only on file 2.



Set the key "high" in On File 2 only if EOF is reached. Keep the keys in WORKING-STORAGE and you don't get in a tangle with EOF checking everywhere.

At heart, it is just a simplification of the two-file match. It pulls the code for File 2 processing "sideways" out of the match, so that both files can be treated as individual files which just happen to be being processed at the same time.

Pseudo-Code'd

Thanks for the reply BillyBoyo. I'll work on the code and will keep you updated.