David,
it can be done. It doe not matter if you have FB or F- all you have to know is the geometry of the device it is stored on (or the device it is does mimic).
If have created a program to do just that (on VSE platform). All it does is it sets the seeks address for the next record to read to whatever the calculation says it is for a certain record.
saved a hell of a lot of processing/elapsed time. Shall I go and look for it (it is somewhere on the PC here).
Best Martin PS: I have red the thread on lnkedt - and I am starting to look just now. Am 11.11.23 um 14:59 schrieb David S.:
To help resolve a question posted to a LinkedIn group I manage: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:groupPost:910927-7128598004344786944 ... I'd like to find out if there's any way to achieve *true* Skip-Sequential processing with a Fixed Block Sequential File with a fairly short record length (i.e. DCB=(DSORG=PS,RECFM=FB,LRECL=80)? For example: Begin sequential processing at record number 100, *without* having to read the first 99 records. Note: We already know certain VSAM formats can do this, but the file in question is a DSORG=PS *Sequential* file, *not* VSAM. This is a rock-solid requirement and cannot be changed. We also already know how certain utilities such as SORT and REXX can *mimic* skip-sequential functionality by *discarding* unwanted records until the specified record number is reached. This is a likewise rock-solid requirement. Sequential processing *must* begin at specified starting point and there can be *no* reading of any records prior to that point. My gut feeling is it *cannot* be done - at least not with RECFM=FB. It *might* be possible with RECFM=F, but efficiency would then be so compromised it would probably outweigh any advantage from *true* skip-sequential processing.
