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ksvenky · Beginner Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 5 Topics: 1

I have a doubt regarding VSAM file usage in COBOL. I have a KSDS VSAM file.
Is it necessary that the Key value should be represented as Alphanumeric only in the COBOL program?

kolusu · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 5:22 am Post subject:

ksvenky,

As Far as I know there is no such restriction.

Kolusu
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ksvenky · Beginner Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 5 Topics: 1

Hi Kolusu,

Thanks for the reply.
Actually we are converting some programs from Easytrieve Classic to COBOL. In that the programs handling KSDS VSAM files with key numeric threw some error saying Key cannot be a numeric value.

Also from one document, I got
"COBOL requires that an alphanumeric VSAM file key for KSDS files is named in the FD statement."

Here are some more doubts:

I have the following doubts with respect to Easytrieve Classic.

1) I would like to know the usage of the '&' symbol. It is used a prefix to some variables. Is there any alternative to that?

2) There is statement called UPDATE. I would like to know what would be its COBOL equivalent (or) how the UPDATE statement in Easytrieve Classic would be represented in COBOL?

kolusu · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 5:45 am Post subject:

ksvenky · Beginner Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 5 Topics: 1

Hi Kolusu,

Thanks a lot for that reply.

Here are some examples for the variable with '&' sign

IF &BEGINYY GQ 60
BEGINCC EQ 19
BEGINYY EQ &BEGINYY
---------------------------
IF &ENDYY GQ 60
ENDCC EQ 19
ENDYY EQ &ENDYY
A*ENDCY EQ ENDCCYY

where BEGINYY and ENDYY are Working Storage Variables

Dibakar · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 6:24 am Post subject:

ksvenky · Beginner Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 5 Topics: 1

Hi Dibakar,

The code i had mentioned is not COBOL. It is a easytrieve classic code.
I would like to know whether '&' is valid in easytrieve classic. If not, then how can it be replaced in my code?

kolusu · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 8:27 am Post subject:

ksvenky,

& is used in macros, like when you want to pass a variable in the macro. Looking at the code , I see that it is used to populate the century portion for the date.

You can use the macro DATECONV to do that.

Hope this helps...

Cheers

Kolusu
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ksvenky · Beginner Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 5 Topics: 1

Hi Kolusu,

So, variables beginning with '&' sign are valid in Easytrieve classic, right?

Actually in our program, a CLIST calls a TSO Panel and the input given to Panel are then used to trigger a Easytrieve classic program. Hence the &BEGINYY is a value entered through Panel.

Now what is happening is we are converting all our Easytrieve classic programs to COBOL. Hence facing problem with '&' varaibles.

Can you please provide me a sample JCL to execute a simple easytrieve classic program?

Regards
Venky

kolusu · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 10:23 am Post subject:

Phantom · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:11 am Post subject:

Hi,

I encountered a strange problem last weekend. I was doing some code changes for another project and I was converting couple of flat files to a VSAM (we eliminated dups if any on the key field).

One VSAM was defined with Key Offset: 0 and Key Length: 8. The field used as is actually 9(15)V COMP-3 (8 bytes - compressed). Now when the program ran, whatever be the data we pass to this key field, everything was thrown out as "INVALID KEY".

Cogito-Ergo-Sum · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 12:40 pm Post subject:

Using a PD for a binary field for a key is NOT A GOOD idea. It is not difficult to see why.

Consider +1 which is X'001C' and -1 which is X'001D'. Now, -1 < +1. But, X'001C' < X'001D' from a purely hexa-decimal point of view. From a PD point of view, X'001C' < X'001D' means, +1 < -1 !
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Debugging tip:
When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
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Cogito-Ergo-Sum · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 12:49 pm Post subject:

BTW, the values of C and D in the last nibble is not really universal. Other values are also possible to denote positive and negative values.
_________________
ALL opinions are welcome.

Debugging tip:
When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
-- Sherlock Holmes.

Phantom · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:56 am Post subject:

Cogito,

Apologize for the late response. Excellent Explantion ! Thanks a ton.

Cogito-Ergo-Sum · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 5:08 am Post subject: