change size of two fields without increasing size of file

[Dennis Malen]

Ken,

I assumed that was the case but did not want to take a chance with this very 
important file until I asked the list.

Thanks!

Dennis Malen
516.479.5912
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kenneth Brody" <kenbrody at spamcop.net>
To: "Dennis Malen" <dmalen at malen.com>
Cc: <filepro-list at lists.celestial.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 4:00 PM
Subject: Re: change size of two fields without increasing size of file


> (Top-posting corrected.)
>
> Dennis Malen wrote:
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kenneth Brody" <kenbrody at spamcop.net>
> [...]
>>
>>> Dennis Malen wrote:
>>>> Assume the following:
>>>>
>>>> Field 7 is 20 digits.
>>>> Field 86 is 6 digits.
>>>>
>>>> I want to add 5 digits to field 7 and reduce field 86 to 1 digit.
>>>>
>>>> Can I go in and change the size and let it rip? Will all the other 
>>>> fields remain intact?
>>>
>>> If by "go in" and "let it rip", you mean "use ddefine to make the change 
>>> and let it restructure the file", then of course the other fields will 
>>> remain intact.  Why would this scenario be different than any other?
>>>
>>> If you meant something else, then you'll need to explain further.
>>>
> > So the size of the file will remain the same and the all the other
> > fields will remain intact as there are over 300,000 records in this 
> > file?
> >
> > Yes, we do intend to use ddefine.
>
> I guess you've never changed a file definition before?  That's what 
> ddefine does when you change the file definition in a file with records in 
> it -- it restructures it to match the new definition.  If you only change 
> 2 out of the 86+ fields, then only those 2 fields will be changed.  The 
> other 84+ fields will be left alone, as you didn't change their 
> definition.
>
> And, because the resulting record length is the same as the original 
> record length, the file will remain the same size.
>
> Again, why would you expect otherwise?
>
> -- 
> Kenneth Brody