Re: Program Described File and SQL

Mark Murphy/STAR BASE Consulting Inc. wrote:

Create a DDS or DDL defined table with the appropriate fields, and
CPYF from the program described file to the externally described
file. You will need to specify *NOCHK on the copy command so that it
doesn't try to map fields. I believe you can use an externally
described file in a program that itself describes the file. I am
pretty sure I have done that in the past when converting from S36 to
AS400. That was a long time ago, and the memory is fuzzy. I don't
thing that programs that do specify program defined files check the
record format level on those files.

You might also be able to do something with IDDU. Although it's been years since I've touched the thing, and my memory could be playing tricks with me.

And of course, you can always write a program to access any file as a program-described one, INCLUDING those that are externally-described, and doing so eliminates level-checking (good, if you have full control over the file's structure, and/or other ways to access its meta-data; not so good if you don't).

--
JHHL