changing packed decimal to character

sumitmalik29 · New User Joined: 10 Feb 2008 Posts: 19 Location: bhuneswar

Hi

i need to change the packed decimal format to character format, during a sort step
for example below record in comp-3

....äæ............á&....

needs to be changed to character format

Thanks in advance

Skolusu · Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 10:00 pm

sumitmalik29,

What is the position and length of the packed decimal number? How do you want the readable format? (1.234 or 1234 or 12.34 or 123.4 ? ...)

Also what is the LRECL and RECFM of input and output files?

sumitmalik29 · New User Joined: 10 Feb 2008 Posts: 19 Location: bhuneswar

hi sukolu

the position of column is from 43 to 48 and is of length 2 bytes for packed decimal
i just want to display the result in character format,
ex:- character format would be '2008' if it is 2 byte data
just want to know the syntax

Thanks

Craq Giegerich · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 1:00 am

Frank Yaeger · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 1:02 am

sumitmalik29,

See the following in "z/OS DFSORT: Getting Started" for the syntax:

publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/ICE1CG30/2.4.8?DT=20080529102039

sumitmalik29 · New User Joined: 10 Feb 2008 Posts: 19 Location: bhuneswar

sorry,
below statement
"the position of column is from 43 to 48 and is of length 2 bytes for packed decimal"
was at typo mistake in hurry,

i used the following control statement for changing columns (in PD) from 43 to 48
OUTREC FIELDS=(43,6,PD,EDIT=('TTTTTTTTTTT'),SIGN=('+','-'))

here starting position is 43 and is of length 6 bytes for PD, on changing to character(using EDIT keyword) it expanded to 12 bytes, the last digit is reserved for sign

Thanks to all

Frank Yaeger · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 2:31 am

That EDIT mask will not give you the sign since you only have Ts (digits) in the pattern and not an S for the Sign. You have SIGN=(+,-) for the leading signs, but no S for the actual sign.

If you want a leading sign, use: