CODEWITHSUNDEEP
filecobolsequential
wardva
wardva

Reputation: 624

How to treat the first line of a file differently in COBOL?

In COBOL i want to read a line sequential file. The first line occurs one time. The second and the thirth line can be repeated multiple (unknown) times. I really don't know how to do it.

I think the file description is something like this:

01 DBGEGEVENS            PIC X(200).
01 PROJECT. (occurs unknown times)
   03 PROJECTCODE        PIC X(10).
   03 CSVPAD             PIC X(200).

Upvotes: 0

Views: 435

Answers (2)

Marty Power
Marty Power

Reputation: 11

The code given indicates a VB file - record one is 200 bytes, while the other records are 210 bytes. There should be an indicator on the records that describes what they are and their purpose. Ultimately, you'd be best served by reading them into WORKING-STORAGE - and I'd ask whomever is passing you the file what indicators are available. If, however, you know for a fact that record one is the only 200 byte record in the file, that would be treated as a header read - read once into its definition - while the remaining 210 byte records (and I want to emphasize the definition provided describes 210 bytes) would be read into a WORKING-STORAGE area fitting their definition.

Upvotes: 0

Bruce Martin
Bruce Martin

Reputation: 10543

It depends on the file format

Do you want a VB file format ???? then

   FILE-CONTROL.
       SELECT In-File ASSIGN .....
   DATA             DIVISION.
   FILE             SECTION.
   FD  Comp-File.
    01  DBGEGEVENS            PIC X(200).
    01  PROJECT. 
        03 PROJECTCODE        PIC X(10).
        03 CSVPAD             PIC X(200).

with

    Read In-File
    Read In-File
    Read In-File

You would use DBGEGEVENS for the first record and project for secon or subsquent records

For Fixed width file format

   FILE-CONTROL.
       SELECT Comp-File ASSIGN .....
   DATA             DIVISION.
   FILE             SECTION.
   FD  Comp-File.
   01  input-record.

   WORKING-STORAGE  SECTION.
    01  DBGEGEVENS            PIC X(200).
    01  PROJECT. 
        03 PROJECTCODE        PIC X(10).
        03 CSVPAD             PIC X(200).

with

    Read In-File into DBGEGEVENS
    Read In-File into PROJECT.
    Read In-File into PROJECT.

Either should work, depending on which file format you use

Upvotes: 2

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