IBM AS/400 manual Renaming Record-Format Names, Ignoring Record Formats, Renaming Field Names

Defining Externally Described Files

Renaming Record-Format Names

Many	of the functions that you can specify		for externally			described
the	CHAIN operation) operate on either	a file		name	or a	record-format
sequently, each file and record-format		name	in	the	program	must be a
bolic name.

To rename a record-format name, use the RENAME keyword on the file des specifications for the externally described file as shown in Figure 13 is RENAME( old name:new name).

*.. 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + *
FFilename++IPEASFRlen+LKlen+AIDevice+.Keywords+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FITMMSTL		IP	E	K DISK RENAME(ITEMFORMAT:MSTITM)
*
Figure 130.			RENAME Keyword for Record Format Names in an Externally Described File
The	RENAME	keyword is		generally used if the program contains two	files
have the same record-format names. In Figure 130, the record					format
ITEMFORMAT		in	the externally described file ITMMSTL is renamed MSTITM for
use	in	this	program.

Renaming Field Names

You

can

partially

rename

all

fields

in

an

externally

described

file

by

PREFIX

keyword

on

the file-description specification

for the file. You

add

a

prefix

to

the

existing

field

name

or you can replace part of

name

with

a

sequence

of

characters.

The

formatprefix-stringis: PREFIX(

{nbr_of_char_replaced}). Figure 131

shows

some

examples of the use

of

PREFI

*.. 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + *

FFilename++IPEASFRlen+LKlen+AIDevice+.Keywords+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

* Add the prefix MST to each name in the record format

FITMMSTL

IP

E

K DISK

PREFIX(MST)

*

* Change the prefix YTD to YE for each name in the record for￿mat

FSALESMSTR IP

E

K DISK

PREFIX(YE:3)

Figure

131.

Prefix Keyword for Record Format Names in an Externally Described File

Ignoring Record Formats

If	a record		format	in	an	externally described file		is	not	to be	u
can	use	the	IGNORE	keyword		to make	the program run as if the record
not	exist	in	the file.		For	logical	files, this means	that	all	data	ass

format is inaccessible to the program. Use the IGNORE keyword on a description specifications for the externally described file as shown on page 267.

The file must have more than one record format, and not all of them c ignored; at least one must remain. Except for that requirement, any num record formats can be ignored for a file.

266 ILE RPG for AS/400 Programmer's Guide