Process Help INPUTW - input fixed format data (max 240 chars) using existing data definition

 

Process Name	Menu Path	Link to Command Table
INPUTW	Data ribbon | Transfer | Text | Input Fixed Format Data	Click here

 

• Introduction

• Files, Fields and Parameters

• Notes

• Example

• Errors

Introduction

Enters wide (maximum 4096 characters) formatted data from keyboard or from a system character file external to the database.

How to use

A Data Definition must already exist, and is read from file &IN. The new file is written to &OUT. If &IN and &OUT are the same name then the new data will replace any that may exist in the old. Otherwise a new file is created, leaving the old file intact.

The data may come either from the keyboard, or from a character system file external to the database. The maximum width of the data record is 240 characters.

The data format may come either from the file description, entered when the Data Definition was originally set up, or from the format line.

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Files, Fields and Parameters

Input Files

Name	Description	I/O Status	Required	Type
IN	File containing Data Definition.	Input	Yes	Table

Output Files

Name	I/O Status	Required	Type	Description
OUT	Output	Yes	Table	File to be created (may be same as IN; if it is, the original data in file is overwritten).

Parameters

Name	Description	Required	Default	Range	Values
PRINT	>=1 Display each record (0).	No	0	0,1	0,1

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Notes

1.	Incorrect data records (i.e. not matching the specified format statement) will be ignored, with a message to the display.
2.	The user is prompted for the following information.
	> SYSFILE >	External file name (max 56 characters).  Blank for none.
	> FORMAT >	FORTRAN format in brackets. Max 80 chars, with character data in A4 units (e.g. 3A4,A2) and E or F format for numbers (e.g. 3F12.0). Integers as F format (e.g. F6.0). If format is already in the file description of the file on IN , then just <return> is entered to use the format.
	> DATA >	Data lines if no SYSFILE, in defined format. ! terminates.

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Example

!INPUTW    &IN(SAMPLEDD),&OUT(SAMPLES),@PRINT=1
  SYSFILE>data.dat

(Listing of DD)

FORMAT >(20A4,3F7.2,F7.2,F8.3)

(Listing of each record)

This example takes the existing Data Definition from file sampleDD, and writes the data records into file samples. The formatted input records are taken from character format file data.dat external to the database, and the format is entered directly as a response to the FORMAT prompt. The @PRINT parameter lists each record as it is read in.

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Error and Warning Messages

Message	Description	Solution
>>>  SYSTEM FILE DOES NOT EXIST <<<	The named file does not exist. Fatal; the process is exited.
>>>  FORMAT CONVERSION ERROR <<<         (listing of record) >>>  ERR 80 <<< ( 0) IN FMTDCW	The given record did not match the format entered. Warning; the record is ignored.
>>>  ERR 94 <<< (charposn) IN INPFMT >>>  ERROR IN FORMAT AT CHARACTER POSITION nnn >>>  FORMAT >>> >>>>>>(listing of format)	The format was illegal. Only A, E, F, G and X descriptors are allowed. Fatal; the process is exited.

 

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