length of record in variable length file

virumf · New User Joined: 07 May 2007 Posts: 6 Location: bangalore

Hi,
Can anyone help me out in knowing how to get the length of record of an variable length file in cobol programming.

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:41 pm

one of the formats of the READ instruction provides for a 'length ' working-storage variable which is populated with the length of the record during execution of the READ instruction. Same is available for the WRITE/REWRITE instructions.

virumf · New User Joined: 07 May 2007 Posts: 6 Location: bangalore

Dick,
thnx for that reply
could you please give me read format that you are telling about..
will be great if you could provide me with example..

Regards,
Veeresh

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 3:42 pm

sai mainframes · New User Joined: 02 Nov 2007 Posts: 8 Location: hyderabad

hi,

first read the file......

Read <file-name>
MOVE LENGTH OF <file-record-name> TO WS-LENGTH

if at all any problem with this code.......please inform me.....

Regards
Saikrishna yadav

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

Hi Sai,

Using "LENGTH OF" in this instance will not work because it always returns the length of the 01 level defined in the FD, not the length of the record.

The cleanest way is to define the file in the FD as "RECORD VARYING FROM x TO y DEPENDING ON WS-REC-LEN. Now, whenever a rec is read, its length is placed in WS-REC-LEN.

If he decides to WRITE a rec he must put its length in WS-REC-LEN before the WRITE, unless he hasn't changed the length of the rec just read. In that case he can use the length deposited by the preceding READ.