Re: Level check failures: how much change to a file?

[CRPence <CRPbottle@xxxxxxxxx>]

  Changing the /descriptive text/ attributes of [database] file fields 
[e.g. LABEL ON against a column] of a [database] file format will not 
change the Format Level Identifier.  Note: an exception may exist when 
an existing file is being modified or re-created from source, and the 
prior version of the file has an incorrect level hash due to a past defect.

  The intent of the Level Check is to identify changes to the format of 
the data [fields] that would impact the program for its I/O.  Changes to 
the descriptive text has no impact on I/O.  But changes to field names, 
field order, data length & precision, and data type should impact the 
hash generated for the Record Format Level Identifier.  See:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r3/index.jsp?topic=/dm/rbal3detectdesc.htm

  Note: If a change is made for which a level change is appropriate, 
but for which the hash is identical to the prior change-level of the 
format, the onus is on the developer to make another change which forces 
the level identifier to change; i.e. a hash can not be guaranteed to be 
unique.  In my experience changing only one field in a file between the 
data types zoned decimal and character without also changing the field 
length, is most likely to exhibit the same hash.

Regards, Chuck

James Lampert wrote:
> It's kind of embarrassing to have to ask this, after over a decade 
> grinding out AS/400 code, but:
>
> How much of a change to a file can you make, before it fails a level
> check?
>
> Can you change field text and/or column headings without killing it?
>
> I'd kind of like to know before I start.