RE: QADBXREF & CL

[Bob Crothers <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

IBM can not only add fields to a file, but I have seen cases where 
they have renamed the files and/or totally changed the structure of 
how the files worked.  Such as the files behind the system directory 
back in the V2 days.  And back then, the interfaces into the system 
directory where not near as robust as they are today.  You can go 
after the files for years and not have a problem.  Then you put a new 
release on and you are toast.

It is not always just a recompile.

Bob

-----Original Message-----
From:   Joe Teff [SMTP:jteff19@idt.net]
Sent:   Monday, February 08, 1999 5:39 PM
To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject:        Re: QADBXREF & CL

To see all of the fields for a file, why not use the system catalog
QADBIFLD?
It's an externally defined file. You may have to recompile a program 
at
some point in the future. API's would protect you from that, but 
cannot be
easier or faster.

> I can remember when IBM introduced the concept of security states 
for
> objects a few years ago. Boy did that screw things up for anyone 
going
> behind the covers to access information> Thankfully most good stuff 
is
> now available through API's. The lesson was simple: Internal objects 
and
> methods are subject to change without notice. If you've got 
alternatives
> why create possible future problems.


>> Why do you say "MUCH safer than going after the IBM internal xref
>> files"?  I would think that this is the safest and fastest!

>>> the member name...so unless there are no members in the file, it
>>> should work...be a lot easyier than API's and MUCH safer than 
going
>>> after the IBM internal xref files

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