Charles If this is simply an uninitialised file, QSAM (or BSAM) could simply simulate an end-of-file condition on the first GET (or READ) call. Even this late in the day, it might be worth requesting through the usual channels.
A later post suggested that what used to work a particular way shouldn't be changed arbitrarily. If there is any merit in having the current behaviour - perhaps some programs like to pick up the empty condition and take action based on finding an uninitialised file, a DD-statement parameter could be invented such as EMPTYEOF=YES or NO where NO is the default. Chris Mason ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles Mills" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Newsgroups: bit.listserv.ibm-main To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, 11 January, 2007 8:21 PM Subject: Re: What is "command reject" trying to tell me? > Thanks for your thorough answer. I think the full answer is that I am > reading a file that has been created but not written into, and so yes, the > DSCB-1 may well say BLKSIZE=0. > > You know, to return to an earlier thread, I would call this a user-hostile > approach on MVS's part. Why would not a designer interested in producing > user-accessible software, a system that would not have a reputation for > being hostile, why would he not put a bit in the DSCB-1 that said whether or > not the file had ever been opened and closed for output? And if the flag > were not set, have open input put out a readable message that said "you > can't open for input a file that has never been written"? Or at least to not > attempt the impossible, reading a block length of zero, but instead to put > out a "you can't read a block size of zero" message? > > When a programmer has to have more skill than I to figure out that he is > simply trying to read a file that effectively does not exist, it's no wonder > this platform has a reputation with management as being expensive to develop > for. (I'm not bragging; you can flame me for the above if you want, but the > fact is, I have 40 years of on and off experience with down and dirty > assembler programming. A stupid, easy-to-commit error should not require the > ability to decode CCW's and make inferential leaps to solve it.) > > Charles ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
