SORT FIELDS=(44,15,AQ,A) What AQ stands for

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

Hi All,

I came across SORT FIELDS=(1,13,BI,A,44,15,AQ,A,154,1,BI,A).

Please let me know what AQ stands for. I browsed across the forum but was not successful in getting any clue for this.

Can any one tell me. I assume it stands for "ALPHANUMERIC". Let me know if this is right.

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:45 am

why,instead of googling, You did not look at the sort manuals
following the links in Frank' s signature ???
that' what I just did and I can confirm that the explanation is there

Frank Yaeger · Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:57 pm

vpr,

AQ indicates ALTSEQ (alternate sequence) format. It tells DFSORT to apply the ALTSEQ table to that field for collation.

For more information on the ALTSEQ table, see:

publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/ICE1CA40/3.4?DT=20090527161936

If you're not familiar with DFSORT and DFSORT's ICETOOL, I'd suggest reading through "z/OS DFSORT: Getting Started". It's an excellent tutorial, with lots of examples, that will show you how to use DFSORT, DFSORT's ICETOOL and DFSORT Symbols. You can access it online, along with all of the other DFSORT books, from:

www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=114&uid=isg3T7000080