PDF Ebook Dicer Programmer's Guide and Reference

s p o n s o r e d   l i n k s

What's In This Chapter
This chapter introduces you to Dicer. The chapter:

  • Describes the features of Dicer
  • Describes what Dicer does
  • Describes Dicer's relationship to other products
  • Outlines future directions for the product

Dicer Features
Dicer is a software utility that allows you to merge, sort, dice (split), and/or duplicate the content of I5/OS spooled files, creating one or more new spooled files as a result. With Dicer you can reorganize an application's output without modifying the application.

As examples, these capabilities allow you to:

  • Merge a spooled file contain customer invoices with a spooled file containing the related packing slips, sorting by customer number. The resulting spooled file will contain each customers' invoice and related packing slip as consecutive pages eliminating the manual effort required to collate the original spooled files.
  • Duplicate a spooled file to additional output queues for printing.
  • Sort the contents of a spooled file to avoid manual collating steps.
  • Split the pages of a large spooled files into multiple spooled files containing only the pages specific to a department, user, store or branch.

    Dicer supports the following I5/OS print data streams:

    • SCS (SNA Character String)
    • IPDS (Intelligent Printer Data Stream)
    • AFPDS (Advanced Function Printing Data Stream)

    Our Display Page Data (DSPPAGDTA) command is included in the product. The command allows you to display selected data from within a spooled file. The command supports output to a display, to print, and most interestingly to an output file. For example, by displaying the page positions of the customer number in spooled files containing invoices, you can create an index from customer number to the related spooled files that contain their invoices.

    Our Retrieve Page Data (RTVPAGDTA) command is included in the product. The command allows you to retrieve data from a specific position spooled file. The requested data is returned in a Control Language (CL) program variable. For example, by retrieving the page position of the customer number in a spooled file containing an invoice, you can determine the customer number for which the invoice was generated from within a CL program.

    Dicer includes a work-a-like for I5/OS's Work with Spooled File (WRKSPLF) command called Work with Gumbo Spooled Files (WRKGSISPLF). It also includes a work-a-like for I5/OS's Work with Output Queue (WRKOUTQ) command called Work with Gumbo Output Queue (WRKGSIOUTQ). These commands provide the same functions as their I5/OS equivalent. In addition they provide an option that allows you to access the function of Dicer by entering an option number.

    CONTENTS

      Edition Notice

    Chapter 1 Introduction

      What's In This Chapter
      Dicer Features
      What Dicer Does
      Product Positioning
      Future Directions

    Chapter 2 Installation

      What's In This Chapter
      Installing The Dicer Licensed Program Product
      Verifying Dicer Installation
      API Authority Granted During Installation
      Library List Considerations
      Release Considerations
      New Release Testing
      Deleting the Dicer Licensed Program Product
      Additional Installation Information
      Technical Support
      Hot Site Installation

    Chapter 3 Dicer Menu

      What's In This Chapter
      Accessing The Menu
      Menu Options

    Chapter 4 Implementation

      What's In This Chapter
      Overview
      Changing Programs
      Manually Processing Spooled Files

    Chapter 5 Merge Processing

      What's In This Chapter
      Overview
      Merge Processing Details
      Merge Processing Limitations

    Chapter 6 Command Descriptions

      What's In This Chapter
      Change Dicer Authorization (CHGDCRAUT) Command
      Change Dicer Default (CHGDCRDFT) Command
      Check Dicer Authorization (CHKDCRAUT) Command
      Create Spool Save File (CRTSPLSAVF) Command
      Dump Page Index Positions (DMPPIP) Command
      Display Page Data (DSPPAGDTA) Command
      Merge Spooled File (MRGSPLF) Command
      Retrieve Page Data (RTVPAGDTA) Command
      Work with Gumbo Output Queue (WRKGSIOUTQ) Command
      Work with Gumbo Spooled File (WRKGSISPLF) Command

    Chapter 7 Trouble-Shooting

      What's In This Chapter
      General Trouble-Shooting
      Software Installation Problems
      Merge Specific Problems
      Creating a Spool Save File
      E-mailing a Spool Save File

    Appendix A Record Descriptions

      What’s In This Appendix
      Display Page Data Record

    Appendix B Notices

      Copyrights

    Download
    PDF Ebook Dicer Programmer's Guide and Reference