How to read a VSAM-file sequentially using NCL

Products

• CMDB for z/OS
• NetSpy Network Performance
• NetMaster Network Automation
• SOLVE
• NetMaster Network Management for SNA
• NetMaster Network Management for TCP/IP
• NetMaster File Transfer Management
• SOLVE:Operations Automation
• SOLVE:Access Session Management
• SOLVE:FTS

Issue/Introduction

NCL provides access to VSAM-Clusters by using &FILE verbs. It may be necessary to read a complete file sequentially from the first to the last entry or vice versa.

Environment

Release: SLOPFC00200-12.1-NetMaster-File Transfer Management
Component:

Resolution

An easy way to get the first (or the last) entry of a File is by using parameter OPT=FWD (or OPT=BWD) in the first &FILE GET statement. The key of that &FILE GET is stored in &FILEKEY. In the loop you read the next entry by using OPT=FWD (or OPT=BWD) again without referencing a key value! The loop is controlled by the Feedback provided into variable &FILEKEY. As long as this value is 0, a record from the file could be read. When trying to read after the last record was read, &FILEKEY contains 4 and the loop ends.

Note: You will only get the first record of a file using OPT=FWD if there was no prior &FILE GET to that file.

The following example shows how a complete file is read in ascending order. The fields of the file are read into variables &1, &2, etc. as ARGS is used:

-*---------------------------------------*
-* Reading a file in ascending order     *
-*---------------------------------------*
&FILE GET DD=<ddname> OPT=FWD ARGS
&DOWHILE &FILERC = 0
   ...
   processing of read record
   ...
   &FILE GET DD=<ddname> OPT=FWD ARGS
&DOEND
 
 
The complete file can be read in descending order, too. Two small changes in the above example will fulfill that:
- Change OPT=FWD to OPT=BWD in both &FILE GET statements:
 
-*---------------------------------------*
-* Reading a file in descending order    *
-*---------------------------------------*
&FILE GET DD=<ddname> OPT=BWD ARGS
&DOWHILE &FILERC = 0
   ...
   processing of read record
   ...
   &FILE GET DD=<ddname> OPT=BWD ARGS
&DOEND

Additional Information

Here is a link to a Video explaining that technique: http://cainc.to/8EyBgN