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Posted by: Chris Proctor
Programmer Analyst
Columbia Sports Company
Portland, OR
Physical file - Record types in a certain order???
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Published: 21 Sep 2012
Revised: 23 Jan 2013 - 3004 days ago
Last viewed on: 14 Apr 2021 (4367 views) 

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Physical file - Record types in a certain order??? Published by: Chris Proctor on 21 Sep 2012 view comments(4)

I don't believe there is a way to do this, but I thought I'd run it by all you gurus anyway. Wink

I have a really strange problem where the program is writing 3 records to a control file, one right after the other with type codes I, T, and G. The key to the control file is vendor, PO# and backorder#, so these records should stay in the order written. Well, occassionally for no reason that I can deduce, they get out of order.

I was wondering if there is anyway in the file definition that I can say that they have to be in I, T, and G order? If not, can anyone think of any way these could randomly get switched.

What's weird is that we reran the same PO thru again with the same results. It just makes no sense. A way of ordering the record types would be the ideal solution.

 

Thanks! 

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COMMENTS

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Posted by: Viking
Premium member *
CA
Comment on: Physical file - Record types in a certain order???
Posted: 8 years 6 months 24 days 15 hours 41 minutes ago

Maybe you're reusing deleted records...?

Posted by: chrisp
Premium member *
Portland, OR
Comment on: Physical file - Record types in a certain order???
Posted: 8 years 6 months 24 days 15 hours 17 minutes ago

Hi Viking. Yes the file is set to reuse deleted records. That might be the issue. I didn't even think of that! I'll change it back and watch it.

Thanks!

Posted by: bobcozzi
Site Admin ****
Chicagoland
www.cozTools.com/qryfile
Comment on: Physical file - Record types in a certain order???
Posted: 8 years 6 months 23 days 21 hours 38 minutes ago
Edited: Sat, 22 Sep, 2012 at 09:57:50 (3127 days ago)

Not to state the obvious, but if you're using RPG "F" specs, do you have the "K" for Keyed Access on the File spec? That's the only way to insure the records are read in keyed sequence, even if the file has a primary key.

Posted by: jjcllhn
Premium member *
Comment on: Physical file - Record types in a certain order???
Posted: 8 years 6 months 22 days 12 hours 44 minutes ago

Since all three records have the same composite "key" value, you can't guarantee what sequence the records will be returned in- the presentation order might change after a rgzpfm- unless you introduce another value to sequence the file. If you've got a timestamp field to track last change on the table, that might be suitable. You could add numeric field that contains 1 for "I" records, 2 for "T", and 3 for "G" records, and add that field two your key.

We've decided all new tables will include surrogate values as primary keys, and are retro-fitting them to existing tables as needed. For our shop, this would be a candidate for retrofitting.