How to empty a vsam file

vpr_118 · New User Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 64 Location: chennai

Hi,

Can any one tell how to empty a VSAM file.

superk · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:29 pm

You'll find a few different suggestions here in this previous topic.

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:29 pm

IDCAMS DELETE command usually works well when followed by DEFINE CLUSTER.

If you can't delete/define it, what type of VSAM file -- KSDS, ESDS, RRDS, linear? KSDS you'd have to delete each record by key. RRDS can't really be emptied since the relative record exists always. ESDS might be emptied by opening for output instead of append, but I haven't tested that to know for sure. And I haven't used enough linear to know how to empty it.

Usually VSAM files don't need to be emptied but if they do it's typically an application issue and the application has code to delete the records.

Aaru · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:38 pm

vpr,

UmeySan · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:43 am

Morning Robert !

IDCAMS Delete-Cluster-Purge will work on KSDS too. No need to this record by record.