IBM Mainframe Forum

Hi, We receive a 80 byte file that contains several PD fields. We don't have copybook for the same to match it with File-Aid to know what value those PD fileds would be having. The customer sends the file and requests us to convert the PD to ZD and download it into xl file and send back the same. The file has a max of 100 records.

Would you please suggest me a way to figure out the lengths of those PD fields and the needed SORT card for the same?

Thanks in advance.

Hello,

The customer needs to provide the file layout or at least the order of the fields in the file. If they can create the file, they know what fields are put into the file.

Once the field positions are known, ZD (zoned-decimal) is not the format to use to download to Excel. One of the easiest ways to use mainframe data in Excel is to create a delimited (the tab character (x'05') works well for the delimiter) file with edited numeric fields that will contain the minus sign (if negative) and an actual decimal point.

Hi,

Since the layout is not available, I am using HEX ON to figure out the values !

Thanks.

Hello,

I am using HEX ON to figure out the values

Hopefully, there is only 1 record format and no COMP fields.

Once the layout has been determined, keep in mind that ZD will not work well for input to Excel.

Good luck

Ok. Thanks.