Simple date conversion using Syncsort

PPeplinski · New User Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 8

I do very little in Syncsort. I have read the manual, specifically the 1.4 OUTREC parameter. Still. I am not sure what/how to code it. The actual project has nothing to do with Syncsort and I could use other utilities or programs to do the conversion.

Simply stated I am comparing two files where date is one of my keys. One file has the date in column 65 in MM/DD/YYYY format and the other has the date in column 35 in YYYYDDD format. Both files have LRECL 133.

I can convert either but the YYYYDDD works best for sequencing the file.

Paul

Pandora-Box · Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:17 am

Paul,

Please state your problem

What are you trying to achieve?
What is your input data? Please share us some same simulated data
what is the output you are expecting?

Also please make use of code tag while pasting input and expected output

PPeplinski · New User Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 8

One of my files has date in position 65 in MM/DD/YYYY format, for example 09/30/2011. I want to use Syncsort to alter that in place to 2011273 using the date conversion formats. It seems that I might first have to strip out the separators.

Paul

Pandora-Box · Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:56 am

Check here for sample idea

PPeplinski · New User Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 8

Thank you. I had hoped the date conversion formats would make the solution less programmatic.

Bill Woodger · Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:51 am

I think the topic posted is a little old. Have a look in your manual. You may find there are lots of date functions, some of which you can use. It'll still be "programatic" to some extent, but that kind of comes with the territory.

dick scherrer · Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:06 am

Hello,

If you have the 1.4 documentation, you might search it for "date conversion" or "date formats" or similar. I won't be near the system that has my 1.4 doc until Monday and so far have not been able to get a vpn connection authorized. . .

Arun Raj · Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:06 pm

PPeplinski,

AFAIK Syncsort 1.4 supports a few new date manipulation functions. I am away from work now, will update here if I find something useful.

Hi Dick,

Are you @ Syncsort 1.4 level? I am still @ 1.3.2

dick scherrer · Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:07 pm

Hi Arun,

One Syncsort client just went from 1.1 (yup, that is NOT a typo - years behind) directly to 1.4. They also upgraded 1.1 from z/OS 7 to 9 to 11 (against the advice of Syncsort - i had hoped the old release would not run and would have to be upgraded<g>).

Seems like some department "critically" needed some of the new 1.4 features. . . I just use what is on the machine and try to make the case to keep the software reasonably current

d

PPeplinski · New User Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 8

Yes, I saw the datye conversion "functions" although the syntax is pretty cryptic. I think the separators in the input field make it less straight forward, even though there is support for separators in the output field.

Paul

Arun Raj · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:08 pm

PPeplinski,

I guess you have already figured out the YD and YDNS subparameters. But I thought the syntax is pretty straightforward. For your particular requirement, I believe the Y2T or Y2W input date format along with YD or YDNS subparameter would do the trick.

Arun Raj · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:20 pm

If input date is of the form yymmdd and starting at pos-1,

PPeplinski · New User Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 8

That was the type of solution that I was looking for, as opposed to the one that uses addition based on the year (to address leap year), the month, and then finally the day.

Unfortunately, by date is in position 65 with the format MM/DD/YYYY, which does not seem to be represented in a Syncsort format.

Paul

Bill Woodger · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 2:04 am

Fortunately it is the work of only a moment to rearrange it, "outside" the existing data on the record (front for variable records, end for fixed) and then us that date...

PPeplinski · New User Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 8

I trust that is true, and probably second nature to someone well versed in SORT. For me it was just a means to an end, and I have encountered other unanticipated data massaging requirements so it makes more sense for to do it all in an EZT or REXX.

Thank you

Paul

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:32 am

Hello,

Depending on the volume of data, you may find REXX performance completely unacceptable. . .

Yup, if there area business rules to be implemented, a programming language is better suited. JustMHO.