About the limitation in Substring comparison test operand SS

feng hao · New User Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 44 Location: China

Occasionally, I needed to make a records selection using substring comparison method, and, there were about 50+ substrings needed to be listed.

However, if failed with 'ICE113A E COMPARISON FIELD ERROR'.

After that, I tried again and again~and have got the limitaition info that the largest number of substring is 28!!

But, I didn't find any notices in the reference "z/OS DFSORT Application Programming Guide".

Anybody could have a test like me and tell me ur result?

feng hao · New User Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 44 Location: China

I would add my function level of DFSORT and the code as below.

The function level in my site is 'z/OS DFSORT V1R5 PTF UK51706'.

The code:

smijoss · Active User Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Posts: 114 Location: pune

could you please paste the entire trace

smijoss · Active User Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Posts: 114 Location: pune

try this

split you SS search into 4 parts

INCLUDE COND=(1,4,CH,EQ,C'GOOD',AND,
((9,6,SS,EQ,C'AAAAA1,AAAAA2,AAAAA3,AAAAA4,AAAAA5,AAAAA6'),OR,
(9,6,SS,EQ,C'BBBBB1,BBBBB2,BBBBB3,BBBBB4,BBBBB5,BBBBB6'),OR,
(9,6,SS,EQ,C'CCCCC1,CCCCC2,CCCCC3,CCCCC4,CCCCC5,CCCCC6'),OR,
(9,6,SS,EQ,C'DDDDD1,DDDDD2,DDDDD3,DDDDD4,DDDDD5,DDDDD6'),OR,
(9,6,SS,EQ,C'EEEEE1,EEEEE2,EEEEE3,EEEEE4,EEEEE5'))

feng hao · New User Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 44 Location: China

Hi, smijoss, thanks very much for ur suggestion and we have made the same solution.

However, the aim that I posted this topic is to check it out that whether this phenomenon existes in ur or other people's site/shop, if so, I think the limitation notice should be added to the reference in the future.

smijoss · Active User Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Posts: 114 Location: pune

check the page 86 "Continuation Lines" topic in "DFSORT Application Programming Guide" (ice1ca40.pdf)

you can do it but i didnt want to play around with colum positons so gave simpler solution

feng hao · New User Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 44 Location: China

Well, I don't think this topic has anything related to "line continuation", does it???

It is about the limitation of total number of substring which can be listed in a DFSORT statement, just like the code I pasted.

And so far, I found that the peak is 28 substrings.

smijoss · Active User Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Posts: 114 Location: pune

well you should wait for frank to reply.....

i thot to give a quick solution so that ur work doesnt get stuck ..

smijoss · Active User Joined: 30 Aug 2007 Posts: 114 Location: pune

This worked absolutely fine for me !!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think you need to relook at your understanding of substring

Frank Yaeger · Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 10:17 pm

Feng hao,

feng hao · New User Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 44 Location: China

Hi, Frank, you are always makeing the point!