Re: MAINFRAME SHOP STANDARDS (VSAM)

"Arnold Trembley" <arnold.trembley@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:SAsvd.1089328$Gx4.509542@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
<snip>
> I have never needed to use a VSAM RRDS file, and I'm not sure if RRDS supp
orts
> variable length records.  Obviously, variable length records are well
> supported for VSAM KSDS and ESDS files.
>

Yes, current z/OS VSAM *does* support variable length RRDS (relative) files.
Interestingly enough (hisotical trivia), this support was FIRST available fo
r
VSAM under VSE.  At the time that IBM introduced VS COBOL II, R3.0 for MVS (
and
CMS), VSAM did *not* support variable length relative files.  Therefore, IBM
needed to provide the SIMVRDS (Simulate Varaible Relative Data Set) run-time
option - which they  continue to support today - in order to provide "full" 
'85
Standard conformance.  I don't remember the exact year, but a couple  of yea
rs
later variable length RRDS files became available for MVS and can be used to
day
(or SIMVRDS files using KSDS "structures" can still be used).


--
Bill Klein
wmklein <at> ix.netcom.com