fixed length format file

[John]

I am attempting to import a large fixed length file, whose origin, I
believe, is Pervasive SQL2000. I am having trouble because Access (XP) says
the record is too long, but I wonder whether it is missing some sort of
CR/LF kind of thing. I can import it into Excel, although I suspect the
field breaks are probably wrong.

My real question is this: I have been give a text file layout which is
supposed to correspond to this file, but I confess that I do not understand
some of the data. Below is an example:


FD SA-HDR-FIL

DATA RECORDS IS SA-HDR-REC.

01 SA-HDR-REC.
03 SA-HDR-ALT-KEY-1.
05 SA-HDR-ALT-KEY-DATA-UPPER PIC X(25).
05 SA-HDR-KEY.
07 SA-HDR-STR-NO PIC 9(3).
07 SA-HDR-TICKET-NO PIC 9(6).
07 SA-HDR-SEQ-NO PIC 9(3).


Can someone clear up with the PIC means? Also what the number (or X in
some cases) after it means?, and finally, what the number in parenthesis
means?

Thanks,

John

 

[Yuan Shao]

Hi John,

Thanks for your post. According to your description, I understand that you
want to understand the meaning of PIC clause in the statements you
provided. If I have misunderstood, please feel free to le me know.

Based on my experience, it is mostly possible that these statements are
COBOL statements. So far as I know, COBOL is a flexible, free-format
language that has very few internal constraints. It does not enforce any
particular structural method, instead it allows the individual to adopt
whatever structure their particular level of mentality can imagine. PIC
X(25) is the picture clause in COBOL.

For more information regarding COBOL, please refer to the following article.
COBOL Programming Standards
http://www.tonymarston.net/cobol/cobolstandards.html

Also, due to the nature of this issue, I think the current news group
(Microsoft Access) is not the best one for this problem. Thanks for your
understanding.

Best wishes,

Michael Shao
Microsoft Online Partner Support
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "as is" with no warranties and confers no rights.

 

[Yuan Shao]

Hi John,

Thanks for your post. According to your description, I understand that you
want to understand the meaning of PIC clause in the statements you
provided. If I have misunderstood, please feel free to le me know.

Based on my experience, it is mostly possible that these statements are
COBOL statements. So far as I know, COBOL is a flexible, free-format
language that has very few internal constraints. It does not enforce any
particular structural method, instead it allows the individual to adopt
whatever structure their particular level of mentality can imagine. PIC
X(25) is the picture clause in COBOL.

For more information regarding COBOL, please refer to the following article.
COBOL Programming Standards
http://www.tonymarston.net/cobol/cobolstandards.html

Also, due to the nature of this issue, I think the current news group
(Microsoft Access) is not the best one for this problem. Thanks for your
understanding.

Best wishes,

Michael Shao
Microsoft Online Partner Support
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "as is" with no warranties and confers no rights.

This document contains references to a third party World Wide Web site.
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software found on the Internet, and Microsoft cautions you to make sure
that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any software from
the Internet.

 

[John]

Thank you for your information. The link you provided looks as though it
should help me with the file structure.

John