ASCII <-> KSAM

[Glenn J. Koster, Sr.]

Bruce reponds...

> ...having the files in the dictionary would then permit the use of 
> QTP to do the loading and this would provide the ability to handle 
> data conversions much beyond the limited abilities of FCOPY.

Pardon me if I missed something, but I don't remember reading in any of
the previous postings that the "text" file needed to be added to the
dictionary also in order to use QTP to load the file.  This would be the
case if you plan to utilize the "data conversion" abilities of QTP to
load the data.  

Alternatively, of course, you could build a simple QUIZ subfile with the
fields defined and then fcopy the data to the subfile - and then use QTP
to load the actual KSAM file.  If this were the case, you may as well do
the following...

	:QUIZ
	>def fld-a type*size
	>def fld-b type*size
	... repeat for each field in the text file record

        >SET SUBFILE NAME <kfile> INDEX <key-fld spec> SIZE <size>
        >SET REPORT LIMIT 1
        >REPORT SUMMARY ALL
        >GO
        >EXIT

        :SAVE <kfile>
        :FCOPY FROM=<txtfile>;TO=<kfile>

Now you have a file that is both KSAM and "self-describing" (for
Powerhouse).

I agree, to a point, with Bruce's assertion that "the dictionary was a
data repository for the enterprise, regardless of how the data was being
accessed."  I disagree that every file in every system should be added
to the enterprise dictionary.  If the file is simply a transport or
communications mechanism between two "non-Powerhouse" programs (or
systems), it is highly unlikely that the need exists to add it to the
dictionary.

Glenn

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