RE: A quick question on spool files -- MIDRANGE-L

GET MONARCH!!! output to reports, spreadsheets, files (on PC and AS400 (with 
DDS))

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com On Behalf Of MacWheel99@AOL.COM
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2000 12:54 PM
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject: Re: A quick question on spool files


Paudie O'Riordan wrote
  
>  Is it possible to change spool files into Database members/files for query
>  purposes and how do you do it?

Something you need to be alert to is the frequency with which a report might 
be altered ... if you have a program written by person-A creating report used 
by person-B with this conversion deal getting spool file into data base 
format developed by person-C for use in query to be used by person-D, then 
the original program gets modified, this could mess up the query, unless your 
programming standards demand that the original program include a warning 
about how the end code is to be used.

I see a problem with the data formats ... you will have numeric fields with 
embedded commas, floating dollar signs etc. & sometimes we substitute "none" 
for zero & have other logic that puts different things in same column ... 
there is a conversion issue of getting that data back into a form that is 
easy to manipulate.

I would think it would be simpler to tackle the original program & seek to 
have the data go out in data base rather than printed form, unless you had a 
generic program that could accept any spooled report & get it into data base 
form, like the software that takes AS/400 reports & migrates them to the PC 
application of choice ... spread sheet or whatever ... that kind of software 
is generic in that it can handle any report layout.

We have some programming standards which mean that all programs have a 
certain look & feel that would make this somewhat manageable.

If the data originated in a query/400, you have an option there to send 
output to a new file instead of to a report.

If the spool file originated from an IBM dump of some kind, the original 
output can often be changed from *PRINT to *OUTFILE which comes in database 
form.

Once you have the data base file ... if it was created through one of these 
automated processes in which you do not have to futz with DDS or SQL to 
define the external specifications, DSPFFD will get you a layout of what the 
fields are ... I like to print one of these, then use RUNQRY *N the-file-name 
F4 *YES selection but not actually first time thru, look at data, then F12 & 
experiment with different selections, making notations on my printed DSPFFD 
reference regarding typical contents in the various fields & what seems to be 
most useful to us.

API Get Spooled File QSPGETF and 
API Put Spooled File QSPPUTF were discusssed with
Copy Spooled File command CPYSPLF
in a recent e-newsletter that I received --- attached below via FWD --- 
hopefully this will address some of your interest & inspire you to subscribe 
to this thing.

Al Macintyre  ���
MIS Manager Green Screen Programmer & Computer Janitor of BPCS 405 CD Rel-02 
running on AS/400 V4R3 http://www.cen-elec.com Central Industries of 
Indiana--->Quality manufacturer of wire harnesses and electrical 
sub-assemblies


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