Re: creating ifs fixed length text file with unusual requirement -- MIDRANGE-L

You can find the foundation stuff here: https://authory.com/JonParisAndSusanGantner/Getting-a-Handle-on-RPGs-Open-Access the IFS handler description starts at the heading "Discover how simple it is to create a generic handler".

The more sophisticated handler is described here: https://authory.com/JonParisAndSusanGantner/aa6262d32339a4656be7aec51e3f7edaa

Both articles include links to the full code. Neither makes use of the latest in RPG, as they were written some 10+ years ago. Updating is left as a task for the reader!

The origin of these handlers was an attempt to meet the needs of a user with a similar problem to that of the OP. I'm more than happy to answer any questions that arise.

Jon Paris
Jon.Paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Nov 14, 2025, at 2:54 PM, Thomas Burrows <thomas.burrows.1957@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Would like to see a copy of the program.

On Thu, Nov 13, 2025 at 3:52 PM Jon Paris <jon.paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

If I were going to use RPG to trim the file, I'd use an Open Access
handler to actually write the file in the first place and forget the CPY...
stiudd completely. Just write it the way you want. A simple approach would
be to put the LF out as the first character of each new record except the
first.

If anyone wants one, this article and others it references have examples
and all the code is downloadable.

Jon Paris
Jon.Paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Nov 13, 2025, at 3:04 PM, Roger Harman <roger.harman@xxxxxxxxxxx>

wrote:

"truncate" was my first thought but, from what I can see, it doesn't

exist in PASE.

A combination of "wc -m" and "head" to cat all but the last character

out to another file could be cobbled together.

Personally, I'd just put together an RPG version of truncate, frontend

it with a command and use that.

Roger Harman
COMMON Certified Application Developer - ILE RPG on IBM i on Power

-----Original Message-----
From: MIDRANGE-L <midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of

cesco via MIDRANGE-L

Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 4:35 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cc: cesco <emaxt6@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: creating ifs fixed length text file with unusual requirement

well.... for a quick fix you can PASE your way out with a shell

"truncate -1" to remove last byte...but man, ain't ugly eh?, close your
eyes while doing it

btw in the RFC for CSV the last one is specified as optional, so a

receiving parser should be obliged to recon..

On Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 04:43:52 PM GMT+1, Jim Franz <

franz9000@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Creating fixed length (801) ascii txt file with LF in 802 but requiring
last row to have no LF.
This is not a written requirement but their workaround after state
government agency I'll not name implemented a new web portal (old portal
upload worked for 10+ years, New portal breaks as its failing looking for
next record that does not exist.
I'm only assisting to fix issue.
File created CPYTOSTMF UTF-8 and rows added with CPYTOIMPF

I could build a RPGLE pgm to remove last row LF, but is there a script

way

of doing this that can execute from clle? Not too familiar with script
except sftp processing. V7R5

Thx
Jim Franz...
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