So, another question is, how would you code it normally in COBOL if the file
could be VB one time and FB another?  I do not think the technique for that
would be different for SORT.  

To me, this is not a SORT issue, but how COBOL handles a File IO section
when the file could be any type (FB, VB, VSAM, etc...)


Lizette


-----Original Message-----
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of John McKown
Sent: Monday, September 09, 2013 9:22 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: SORT? need.

I haven't yet looked in the DFSORT manual, bad me, but I'll ask anyway.

Programmer has a "problem". He is writing a COBOL program. No, that's not
the problem <grin/>. He wants the input to be an OPTIONAL file which might
be VB in one run an FB in a different run. This file is "user" generated. I
told him to tell the user to put in the SITE command necessary to make the
uploaded file be VB. He basically said that he didn't think he could _force_
them to do that. The conversation degenerated after that.

Anyway, DFSORT has a FTOV function. But I need an "any"TOV type function.
That is, it will read FB or VB and output VB.

If this were me, I'd use REXX because I've been told these will be "small"
files. But the programmer doesn't know REXX. And I'm not go write it for him
because our programmers don't know REXX and so won't be able to support it.
And I'd end up being support-for-eternity for this. It's happened before
with some HLASM code which is now "mine".

--
As of next week, passwords will be entered in Morse code.

Maranatha! <><
John McKown

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