Home/ Questions/Q 9202293
In Process

The Archive Base Latest Questions

Editorial Team
  • 0
Asked: 2026-06-17T23:13:19+00:00

How I can read a .dat file with struct like that: ( A =

  • 0

How I can read a .dat file with struct like that: ( A = ALPHANUMERIC && N = NUMERIC )

0AAAAAAAANNNN (233 BLANK SPACES ) 999999 ( SEQUENTIAL NUMBER ONE BY ONE )
1NNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (194 BLANK SPACES) 999999 (SEQUENTIAL NUMBER ONE BY ONE)
2AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (194 BLANK SPACES) 999999 (SEQUENTIAL NUMBER ONE BY ONE)
1NNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (194 BLANK SPACES) 999999 (SEQUENTIAL NUMBER ONE BY ONE)
2AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (194 BLANK SPACES) 999999 (SEQUENTIAL NUMBER ONE BY ONE)
1NNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (194 BLANK SPACES) 999999 (SEQUENTIAL NUMBER ONE BY ONE)
2AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (194 BLANK SPACES) 999999 (SEQUENTIAL NUMBER ONE BY ONE)
1NNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (194 BLANK SPACES) 999999 (SEQUENTIAL NUMBER ONE BY ONE)
2AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (194 BLANK SPACES) 999999 (SEQUENTIAL NUMBER ONE BY ONE)
9 (245 BLANK SPACES) 999999 (SEQUENTIAL NUMBER ONE BY ONE)

So, I know, how I can make a program to read this in C/C++ or in C#, but, I try to make in Cobol, just for study….

But, I don’t know what the command I need to use to open the file with this style ( I just know the:

ORGANIZATION IS LINE SEQUENTIAL.

I think, exist a another command to open with custon instructions… i don’t know…
So, btw, how I can open the file and read the informations ??

( i just need to read the line 1 on time, and, I need to read the line 2 and 3 always paried … 4 and 5 && 6 and 7 && 8 and 9 … )
and, I whant to show that information with DISPLAY ( just for study )
Thanks 🙂

Share

Leave an answer

You must login to add an answer.

Need An Account,

1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    Something like this below your FD:

    01  INPUT-RECORD.
    05  IR-RECORD-TYPE PIC X.
        88  INPUT-RECORD-IS-HEADER VALUE '0'.
        88  INPUT-RECORD-IS-DATA1 VALUE '1'.
        88  INPUT-RECORD-IS-DATA2 VALUE '2'.
        88  INPUT-RECORD-IS-TRAILER VALUE '9'.
    05  FILLER PIC X(whatever).

    You may need a “trailing” byte for a record-delimiter, I don’t know, and you’ll have to sort out the lengths, as they seem to vary.

    These in Working-Storage:

    01  INPUT-RECORD-HEADER.
    05  IRH-RECORD-TYPE PIC X.
    05  IRH-ITEM1 PIC X(8).
    05  IRH-ITEM2 PIC 9(4).
    05  FILLER PIC X(233).
    05  IRH-SEQUENCE PIC X(6)
01  INPUT-RECORD-DATA1.
    05  IRD1-RECORD-TYPE PIC X.
    05  IRD1-ITEM1 PIC 9(14).
    05  IRD1-ITEM1 PIC X(19).
    05  FILLER PIC X(194).
    05  IRD1-SEQUENCE PIC X(6)
01  INPUT-RECORD-DATA2.
    05  IRD2-RECORD-TYPE PIC X.
    05  IRD2-ITEM1 PIC X(33).
    05  FILLER PIC X(194).
    05  IRD2-SEQUENCE PIC X(6)
01  INPUT-RECORD-TRAILER.
    05  IRT-RECORD-TYPE PIC X.
    05  FILLER PIC X(245).
    05  IRT-SEQUENCE PIC X(6).

    You have to read each record, one at a time. Identify it. Put it in the correct W-S definition. When you read a “2” you can process the “1” you have stored along with the “2”.

    My datanames aren’t very good, as I don’t know what your data is. Also I have not “formatted” the definitions, which will make them more readable when you do it.

    • 0