CFF dropping comp3

FranklinE · Post by **FranklinE** » Mon Jun 15, 2015 10:05 am

We definitely need to see the entire Cobol FD you use to import the table definition. In the meantime, read Using Mainframe Source Data
viewtopic.php?t=143596 on the FAQ page.

Finally, the best help you can get is from your mainframe developers. They can, for example, browse the file on the mainframe using the FD on a formatted display. You can't get that after you download the file to your server.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Mon Jun 15, 2015 11:38 am

I used to use a mainframe utility program called FileAid to view mainframe COBOL datasets in ISPF a long time ago. It would format data into human readable form using the COBOL copybook.

I would be surprised if you couldn't find some kind of open source equivalent to do something similar on a windows or *nix platform these days.

A quick Google search turns up something called OpenFileAid.

I've never used it, but from its description it sounds like it might be useful.

Searching Google for "COBOL data viewer" also turns up a couple more possibilities.

Mike

FranklinE · Post by **FranklinE** » Mon Jun 15, 2015 2:23 pm

Mike, thanks for that tip. I make the assumption that getting utilities like OpenFileAid may not be easy for an IT shop, it certainly isn't easy here.

We use Insync for Cobol-format displays of datasets in our TSO system.