An EGL fixed record that accesses an external file, printer, or queue has a logical file or queue name. (In the case of a printer, the logical file name is printer for most runtime systems.) The name can be no more than 8 characters and is meaningful only as a way of relating the record to a system name, which the target system uses to access a physical file, printer, or queue.
In relation to files or queues, the file or queue name is a default for the system name. In relation to printers, no default exists.
// an association element property: fileName value: myFile01 // an entry, with multiple properties property: system value: aix property: fileType value: spool property: systemName value: employee // a second entry property: system value: win property: fileType value: seqws property: systemName value: c:\myProduct\myFile.txt
The file name must be a valid name, an asterisk, or the beginning of a valid name followed by an asterisk. The asterisk is the wild-card equivalent of one or more characters and provides a way to identify a set of names. An association element that includes the following value for a file name, for example, pertains to any file name that begins with the letters myFile:
myFile*
If multiple elements are valid for a file name used in your program, EGL uses the first element that applies. A series of association elements, for example, might be characterized by the following values for file name, in order:
myFile myFile* *
Consider the element associated with the last value, where the value of myFile is only an asterisk. Such an element could apply to any file; but in relation to a particular file, the last element applies only if the previous elements do not. If your program references myFile01, for instance, the linkage specified in the second element supersedes the third element to define how the reference is handled.
any
If you are generating for AIX, for example, EGL uses the first entry that refers to aix or to any.
A file type determines what properties are necessary for a given entry in an association element. The next table describes the EGL file types.
File type | Description |
---|---|
ibmcobol | A VSAM file accessed remotely by an EGL-generated Java™ program. For details on specifying the system name in this case, see VSAM support. |
mq | An MQSeries® message queue; for details on how to work with such a queue, see MQSeries support. |
seqws | A serial file accessed by an EGL-generated Java program. |
spool | A spool file on AIX or Linux®. |
Related concepts
Fixed record parts
MQSeries support
Parts
Record types and properties
Record parts
VSAM support