VSAM KSDS using POINT with Partial key returning unexpected data

Products

• Easytrieve Report Generator

Issue/Introduction

 

Upgraded Easytrieve to version 11.6. Now one of our users ran a program that uses a POINT instruction to position in to a VSAM KSDS dataset using a partial key is not getting the expected data returned.  

This program ran fine before in Easytrieve compatibility mode. It appears that in Compatibility mode, the remaining values of the key were filled in with low-values and now they are being filled with spaces, causing unexpected data to be returned

 

 

 

 

Environment

Easytrieve Report Generator, release 11.6, upgrading from compatibility mode to true release 11.6

Resolution

This is an upgrade difference, where Easytrieve 6.4 and 11.x compatibility mode use GET LOCATE Mode and have binary zeros in the buffer area to fill the key.

 

Easytrieve R11.x uses GET MOVE Mode and has Spaces in the program working storage to fill the key.

 

Easytrieve does not support VSAM access by partial keys.                     
You will need to define a field with the same length as file key, initialize it to spaces or low values, set the partial key value in the first bytes as needed by definition, refining redefined fields and use the whole key in the POINT statement.