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Status Future consideration
Workspace IBM i
Categories Languages - RPG
Created by Guest
Created on Dec 21, 2024

Relax requirements for using Ds in I/O

The general problem is about the compiler issuing a RNF7595 when I try to use the same Ds (or Likerec Ds) on diffent files sharing the same format and based on the same PF.

This is an example:

Dcl-f fileA01L keyed usage(*input);

Dcl-f fileA02L keyed usage(*input) rename(FILEA:FILEA2);

Dcl-ds filea02 extname('FILEA02L') qualified inz(*extdft) End-ds;

Dcl-ds filea02R likerec(FILEA2);


chain X FILEA02L filea02; // Ok no errors

chain x FILEA01L filea02; // RNF7595

chain X FILEA02L filea02R; // Ok no errors

chain x FILEA01L filea02R; // RNF7595


FILEA01L and FILEA02L share the same format and are based on the same PF.


Relaxing the rules would be very useful to reduce the number of definitions and eval-corr operations like in this example:


If y=1;

chain x FILEA01L filea02R;

ElseIf y=2;

chain x FILEA02L filea02R;

ElseIf y=3;

chain x FILEA03L filea02R;

EndIf;

if %found();

// Use a common logic based on the Ds filea02R.

EndIf;



Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Dec 23, 2024

    Any solution, with or without adding a new keyword, that allows the use of a Ds on multiple files will be a blessing.

    Thanks!

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Dec 23, 2024
    Thank you for the additional information about the second file having different keys.

    IBM will use this Idea as input to planning, but no commitment is made or implied. This Idea will be updated in the future if IBM implements it. IBM will use votes and comments from others in the community to help prioritize this Idea.

    However, if this Idea is implemented, it is very unlikely that the compiler would simply relax the rule about requiring the external name of the file to match the external name of the data structure. It is more likely that additional syntax would be needed to allow a data structure for a different file. Possibly an extra keyword for the DCL-F to associate the record format for a logical file with the physical file format.

    -IBM Power Systems Development
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Dec 23, 2024

    Thanks for your prompt answer.


    The problem is that FILEA01L and FILEA02L are not the same file , they share the same format, are based on the same PF but Keys and Include/Omission are diffrent.


    I hope you will reconsider your conclusion or suggest a different way to handle the problem.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Dec 23, 2024
    IBM does not intend to provide a solution to this Idea at this time, so it is being closed.

    When two files in the RPG source are based on the same file, you can use the LIKEFILE keyword to specify that the second file is the same as the first file.
    https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/i/latest?topic=filename-rules-likefile-keyword

    Dcl-f fileA01L keyed usage(*input) block(*yes);
    Dcl-f fileA02L likefile(fileA01L);

    The data structure would be defined using the filename from the standard DCL-F definition. It could be used for any file defined with LIKEFILE(fileA01L).

    Dcl-ds fileaDS extname('FILEA01L' : *input) qualified inz(*extdft) End-ds;

    Since the LIKEFILE keyword causes the record formats to be qualified, there is no need for a RENAME keyword for the second file. To use the record format of the LIKEFILE file, you qualify the format by the file name: fileA02L.FILEA. To make your coding for both files consistent, it would be a good idea to add the QUALIFIED keyword to fileA01L too. so you would qualify fileA01L.FILEA too.

    So now your code would look like this.

    Dcl-f fileA01L keyed usage(*input) block(*yes) qualified;
    Dcl-f fileA02L likefile(fileA01L);
    Dcl-f fileA03L likefile(fileA01L);
    Dcl-ds fileaDS extname('FILEA01L' : *input) qualified inz(*extdft) End-ds;

    If y=1;
    chain x FILEA01L fileaDS;
    ElseIf y=2;
    chain x FILEA02L fileaDS;
    ElseIf y=3;
    chain x FILEA03L fileaDS;
    EndIf;
    if %found();
    // Use a common logic based on the Ds fileaDS.
    EndIf;

    -IBM Power Systems Development