IBM Mainframe Forum

I have 2004 lrecl VB file.
I am sorting some data using temp area in 3000 byes thru 15 bytes.

I am able to achieve the sorting that I need.
But when I am writing the output 2004 VB file.
(i) either I am getting error or (ii) it has lost te lrecl that it had before and fills with spaces from the input lrecl to 2004.

Here are the smaples that I tried and errors that received. And also the successful one.

(A)


//////////////////////////////
(B)


////////////////////////////////
(C)


///////////////////////////////
(D)


///////////////////////////////
(E)


RC : 00, but the lrecl of each record expanded to 2004.
ie if the third record was 250 bytes, input had nothing after pos 250, but now there is spaces in the output after 251.
Can some one please help me what am I doing wrong.

Thanks in advance
Aka.

A and B seem identical and you know what you did with those.

C and D the record-length being calculated is greater than the LRECL you have for the file in the JCL (best not to have DCB information, as it gives you two places to maintain things).

E the problem is the OVERLAY. When you extend a record with OVERLAY, intervening bytes between your previous last byte of data and the new bytes from the OVERLAY are padded with blanks. The position you specified on OVERLAY is not just a convenient place to store things, but it becomes part of the record with new contiguous blanks Effectively, you have made all your variable-length records into fixed-length records with an RDW.l.

Using OVERLAY in that way us fine for fixed-length records, but for variable-length records you need to extend in a different place. At the beginning of the data.



That makes some space at the beginning of the record. The 4X makes four blanks (doesn't matter what goes there, it is just to rearrange the record and update the RDW) and you then use that with your OVERLAY. I've chosen 4 as an example, you need to make it long enough for all the extra you need.

Later you need to return the record to it's original:



This doesn't need to be done in OUTFIL, that is just an example. The data which was at 5 originally is now at 9, so to get it back to 5 is like this.

You don't need to specify columns (the unless you need to leave gaps. The default when not specified is position 1 for the first item, and the next available position otherwise.

Thank you for the information.

I think I understand your suggestion about moving the temp place before the record starts.
So should I change the overlay to


still gives

I cannot use build and overlay togather right ?

The RDW on an output record must always be sourced from the RDW on an input record. SORT will then adjust it to the lengths you implicitly/explicitly use.

I can't tell exactly what you're trying to do, so fill in yourself, or explain what you want.

I was able to get the desired result with the 2 INIT - build and overlay.
It works.

Thank you Billy.