Re: VSAM doubt <- QUESTION

> I am a newbie in the vast world of VSAM. I came across couple of doubts
> in my very long and twisted learning curve. I would be really
> greatefull if  someone can help me out?
>
> Question 1
> ----------
> Can a VSAM File act like a GDG BASE. i.e it should be like a GDG whose
> any version and all version acts like a VSAM, with a .DATA and .INDEX
> part.
>
> Question 2
> ----------
> In the SORT PGM utility when we give a VSAM file to be sorted, what
> exactly does the sort utility do. Does it sort the VSAM INDEX only or
> VSAM Data only or Both. To be more accurate how does the SORT utility
> funciton ?
>

First, I don't how they teach English over there but this drives me nuts!
You do not have a "doubt", you have a "question". You doubt something that
you think is untrue. You question something that you do not know. You
do not know if a VSAM file can be a GDG, therefore you have a question.
If I told you a VSAM file has chocolate ice cream hidden in the index
you would doubt that it was the truth.

#1. No, a VSAM cannot be a GDG base or a GDS (Generation DataSet).
Only sequential files can be a GDG's

#2 Sort will read a (KSDS) VSAM file sequentially from beginning to
end as if it were a flat file. The index contains informational
pointers to the data component to read in key sequence. Functionally,
it is read like a flat file. Once read, the data is treated as any other
data by sort. VSAM can be output as well. You can load an empty or
reuse VSAM file with sort. You must be sure the data is in key
sequence with no duplicates.