How can delete a sequential file which has 1 millon records

samayamsasi · New User Joined: 22 May 2005 Posts: 7 Location: Bangalore

Hi
i am sasi,

one interviewer asked these question , please answer it , it will be more help for me
1. how can delete a sequential file which has 1 millon records, through the cobol programming ?

2.can i delete a record in sequential file ?

Thanks
Sasi

ofer71 · Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 11:45 am

1. If I had to delete a dataset from a COBOL program (why????), I would probably code TSO commands from COBOL (Either TSO's DELETE or through IDCAMS).

2. As far as I know, you can't delete a record from a sequential file programmatically. You will have to rewrite the file without the desired record. However, if the file is not too big, you can use ISPF's Edit-Macro commands (even from within COBOL) to delete a single record.

O.

samayamsasi · New User Joined: 22 May 2005 Posts: 7 Location: Bangalore

Hi Rj, ofer

thx for ur replies
we can delete sequential file physical ( by idcams or thorugh 3.4 options)
my question is, is it possible delete a sequential file through the cobol programming ?

Sasi

mmwife · Super Moderator Joined: 30 May 2003 Posts: 1592

You can delete all the recs in the file by opening it for output and closing it immediately.

prashanth1 · New User Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 47 Location: Hyderabad

mmwife,

means that, do we need to use (OLD,DELETE,DELETE) as the DISP parameters in JCL.

Pls Correct Me ,IF I wrong

mmwife · Super Moderator Joined: 30 May 2003 Posts: 1592

Hi Prashanth,

I have a feeling (because of the wording) the ques was intended to mean delete all 1 mil recs, not the file.

To delete the file you don't need a COBOL pgm. Just use IEFBR14 with a DD that contains disp=(old,delete,delete) as you suggested.

But, then I wasn't there.

mmwife · Super Moderator Joined: 30 May 2003 Posts: 1592

'Sfunny, you can delete ALL the recs in a seq file, but you can't delete just one.

Yeah, yeah; I know.