Library, Source Physical File, Member, Record and Record Format

It is very important to understand the above jargons. All terms are related to each other in a following hierarchy.

Record & Record Format:

          The data in a file is called Record. it should be in some specific format and that format is called Record Format.

For example: On a page of paper, you have following data.

All the above detail/ data on the page is record.

Whole page is written in a pre-defined rules and that rules are specified in a template or format as mention below.

Example of Record Format.

If I want to code the above format as PF then I may code as following:

R       PFLETTERR                                       

                    SALUTATION      15A             TEXT('SALUTATION')    

                    BLNK_LINE1       80A             TEXT('BLANK LINE 1')  

                    DETAILS             500A           TEXT('DETAILS')       

                    BLNK_LINE2       80A             TEXT('BLANK LINE2')    

                    THANKS             15A             TEXT('THANKING YOU')  

                    BLNK_LINE3       80A             TEXT('BLANK LINE3')   

                    REGRADS          15A             TEXT('YOURS SINCERELY')

                    NAME                  30A             TEXT('NAME')          

Now a proper Example of Record Format & Records

Record Format – PF1R

PF1

In PF1R image:

• it is restricted that each record (that means each line of data) will have only two columns.
• It is restricting or telling us that any data (even blanks) in the 1^st col: will be consider as CUSTOMER ID and anything in 2^nd col: will be COUSTOMER NAME

In PF1 image:

• PF1 has 3 lines of data that means it has 3 Records
• It is a two column PF just as described by its format (PF1R).
• First col: has ID and 2^nd col: has Name.

Member:

          Member is the collection of record(s). it contains line of data in a proper

In the above PF1 example.

• ·        PF1 is a Member
• ·        It has 3 Records
• ·        Record Format PF1R is for all the records in the Member PF

Source Physical File:

            Source physical file is a file which contains the sources of different types of objects. 

• ·         It is the collection of file member(s).
• ·         There can be up to 32767 members
• ·        Used CRTSRCPF command to create library

·          

Library:

Library is a collection of files. Read more about Library (Here) 

• ·        Used CRTLIB command to create library