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Vivek Wilson
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Joined: 27 Nov 2008
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Location: India
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Hi, How can I determine the Format of a Mainframe PS file? I mean whether it's ASCII, Binary or others? I Tried Info, but I see no help there. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Wilson... |
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dick scherrer
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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
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Hello,
Where did this file originate? Is the file now on dasd or is it a tape? What is the external definition of the content of the dataset(s)?
Which "info" did you try and what was shown to you from the file?
Typically a file transfer from Windows or UNIX causes the file to be converted from ascii to ebcdic. There can be exceptons, but normally, the conversion is handled by the file transfer. |
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Vivek Wilson
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Joined: 27 Nov 2008
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Location: India
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| dick scherrer wrote: |
Hello,
Where did this file originate? Is the file now on dasd or is it a tape? What is the external definition of the content of the dataset(s)?
Which "info" did you try and what was shown to you from the file?
Typically a file transfer from Windows or UNIX causes the file to be converted from ascii to ebcdic. There can be exceptons, but normally, the conversion is handled by the file transfer. |
This PS File is the latest Generation in a GDG, created today. It's on DASD. I tried 'I' in front of the filename. I get File Type, LRECL etc, but no information whatsoever on the Format of the file. I'm not going to transfer it out to any other system, & it's not transferred in from any other system. What can I do to check the format of an existing Mainframe File? |
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dick scherrer
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Hello,
Use copy/paste, and the "Code" tag to post what you use 3.4 and select I for this dataset. Please do not use a screenshot as they introduce a lot of clutter.
It may help it you also post part of the first record with HEX ON. |
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Anuj Dhawan
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Joined: 22 Apr 2006
Posts: 6248
Location: Mumbai, India
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| Vivek Wilson wrote: |
| What can I do to check the format of an existing Mainframe File? |
"Format" word is kind of mis-leading here, if it's a output of some event on Mainframes (output of COBOL, SORT, PL/I etc) you must be having a layout . . .does not that help you? |
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Vivek Wilson
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Joined: 27 Nov 2008
Posts: 26
Location: India
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| dick scherrer wrote: |
Hello,
Use copy/paste, and the "Code" tag to post what you use 3.4 and select I for this dataset. Please do not use a screenshot as they introduce a lot of clutter.
It may help it you also post part of the first record with HEX ON. |
Sorry, I didn't get what you meant. Can you explain? |
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Vivek Wilson
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Joined: 27 Nov 2008
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Location: India
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| Anuj D. wrote: |
| Vivek Wilson wrote: |
| What can I do to check the format of an existing Mainframe File? |
"Format" word is kind of mis-leading here, if it's a output of some event on Mainframes (output of COBOL, SORT, PL/I etc) you must be having a layout . . .does not that help you? |
No, I don't have access to the job or the Layout. I have just the file. I need to know whether the file is ASCII, Binat=ry or some other format. |
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dick scherrer
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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
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Hello,
You need to post the information shown on 3.4 I (copy/paste - do not use a screenshot.
You also need to post some of the first record or 2 with HEX ON. |
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Vivek Wilson
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Joined: 27 Nov 2008
Posts: 26
Location: India
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| Code: |
Management class . . : PRDGDG1 Allocated cylinders : 20
Storage class . . . : PRD1000 Allocated extents . : 1
Volume serial . . . : 1GSMBS
Device type . . . . : 3390
Data class . . . . . : ADDDSORG Current Utilization
Organization . . . : PS Used cylinders . . : 1
Record format . . . : FB Used extents . . . : 1
Record length . . . : 250
Block size . . . . : 27750
1st extent cylinders: 20
Secondary cylinders : 5
Data set name type : SMS Compressible : NO
Creation date . . . : 2009/03/25 Referenced date . . : 2009/03/25
Expiration date . . : ***None*** |
This is the Info I see. How can I identify the format from here? |
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dick scherrer
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Hello,
Your file is a qsam file with 250-byte records. The blksize is 27750.
In addition to that info, you also need to:
| Quote: |
You also need to post some of the first record or 2 with HEX ON.
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From the data, we can learn more about how the content is stored. |
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Vivek Wilson
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Joined: 27 Nov 2008
Posts: 26
Location: India
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| dick scherrer wrote: |
Hello,
Your file is a qsam file with 250-byte records. The blksize is 27750.
In addition to that info, you also need to:
| Quote: |
You also need to post some of the first record or 2 with HEX ON.
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From the data, we can learn more about how the content is stored. |
Sorry, I left out that bit deliberately. This file is currently in Production, & I can't post Production data here. Is there no other way then? |
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dick scherrer
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Hello,
| Quote: |
| I can't post Production data here. Is there no other way then? |
Change something in the data before posting it so that it is no longer a problem.
The very high odds are that the file is a normal ebcdic file. There are very few ascii files on a mainframe.
The file may contain zoned-decimal, packed-decimal, and binary numeric values in addition to alphanumeric data.
Do you have a cobol layout for this file you can post? |
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Vivek Wilson
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Posts: 26
Location: India
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| dick scherrer wrote: |
Hello,
| Quote: |
| I can't post Production data here. Is there no other way then? |
Change something in the data before posting it so that it is no longer a problem.
The very high odds are that the file is a normal ebcdic file. There are very few ascii files on a mainframe.
The file may contain zoned-decimal, packed-decimal, and binary numeric values in addition to alphanumeric data.
Do you have a cobol layout for this file you can post? |
People have been fired from my Company for doing this. I appreciate your willingness to help, but I honestly can't post additiona; info. Can you just tell me how I can distinguish between an EBCDIC File & an ASCII file? I'll do some more work by myself & determine teh format. |
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enrico-sorichetti
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ASCII and EBCDIC do not exists in themselves
the only thing that exists are bytes which are made of bits
the classification ASCII EBCDIC or anything else You want
is a convention based on the use and/or the external representation
take for example the hex value 6B
with the ASCII convention it represents the letter k( lower case )
with the EBCDIC convention it represents the symbol , ( a comma )
but it could also represent the binary number 107
the question, as posed, does not have really any sense
by looking at the raw data You can tell just NOTHING
since you say that it is a production dataset
somewhere in your organization there should be a ©BOOK which describes it' s structure
( I hope for You )
as an alternative
consult the applcation documentation or ask Your peers |
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Robert Sample
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Joined: 06 Jun 2008
Posts: 8700
Location: Dubuque, Iowa, USA
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| Quote: |
| Hi, How can I determine the Format of a Mainframe PS file? I mean whether it's ASCII, Binary or others? |
I love questions like this ... there's so many ways to answer...
1) The format can be considered ASCII, EBCDIC, binary, hexadecimal all at the same time.
2) You are confusing an encoding (ASCII, EBCDIC, etc) with format (binary). All files are binary (that is, they consist of a sequence of bits).
3) As enrico points out, there is absolutely no way to tell from internal inspection of a file whether it has ASCII data, EBCDIC data, both, or neither. Only the application that generated the file can provide this data. |
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Vivek Wilson
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Posts: 26
Location: India
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| Code: |
PICTURE X(04).
PICTURE X(08).
PICTURE 9(04).
PICTURE X(08).
PICTURE 9(06).
PICTURE X(06).
PICTURE X(02).
PICTURE X(10). |
This is the definition of the fields contained in the Copybook for this file. I have left out the field names, but all the fields in the associated copybook are Alphanumeric & Decimal definitions. There are no Signed or Compressed variables. |
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dick scherrer
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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
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Hello,
From the fields you've now posted and the dataset info posted previously, you have a simple qsam file with fixed-length records.
What is the question? Why is there a problem?
Read the file in your program and do whatever is needed with the fields. |
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Anuj Dhawan
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| And what's the origin of the question - what made you to think that way? |
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Vivek Wilson
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Posts: 26
Location: India
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| Well, I was asked by my Client to determine whether the file stored in DASD was with an encoding of ASCII or otherwise. Truth be told, I didn't think encoding applied to a file on DASD because when you FTP it out to Windows, you can choose to have it as ASCII, Binary or Whatnot. Since I was given as explicit instruction to determine the format IN DASD, I thought there would be a way to specify that in MVS. |
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dick scherrer
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Hello,
If you view the file in tso/ispf and the data is visable/readable, you have verified that the file is a simple sequential file ready for use in program code or utilities.
If the info appears garbled, look at the info in hex and post the hex of any one field or 2 and we should be able to clarify. |
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Vivek Wilson
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Posts: 26
Location: India
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| If it's that simple, then sure. I'll check into the file names & raise a query if I come across some unreadable characters. |
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dick scherrer
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Good luck - someone will be here if there are questions 
d |
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Vivek Wilson
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Posts: 26
Location: India
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Thanks Man.  |
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