From:	CRDGW2::CRDGW2::MRGATE::"SMTP::CRVAX.SRI.COM::RELAY-INFO-VAX"  7-SEP-1989 14:05
To:	MRGATE::"ARISIA::EVERHART"
Subj:	Re: How to shrink an indexed file?

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Date: 7 Sep 89 12:47:44 GMT
From: uhccux!munnari.oz.au!comp.vuw.ac.nz!windy!gpwd!gpwrmdh@ames.arc.nasa.gov  (Martin D. Hunt)
Organization: Government Printing Office, Wellington, New Zealand
Subject: Re: How to shrink an indexed file?
Message-Id: <286@gp.govt.nz>
References: <890901143701.2020426a@UWYO.BITNET>
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In article <890901143701.2020426a@UWYO.BITNET>, jimkirk@OUTLAW.UWYO.EDU (Jim Kirkpatrick) writes:
> I've spent several days reading the manuals and experimenting, and can't
> figure out how to CONVERT an indexed file with 50% of the records deleted
> such that the target file uses fewer disk blocks.  The file was originally
> created with a Cobol program, has had many records added with a Cobol
> program, and recently I deleted about 1/2 of the records via DCL and
> READ/DELETE/KEY=blah.  The file is still at it's peak size of about 3000
> blocks.  I have tried various combinations of CONVERT, CONVERT/RECLAIM,
> and CONVERT/FDL (even lowering the ALLOCATION in the .FDL) and I always
> get an output file the same size as the input.  Do I have to write a
> program to read the old file and write a new one???  Help!

We use the following statements, and they usually do the job:

$	analyse/rms/fdl file
$! This will create an fdl file with analysis data

$	edit/fdl/nointer/analysis=fdl_file fdl_file
$! This will create a new fdl file with the required allocation size, etc.

$	convert/fdl=fdl_file file new_file
$! Create new version of the file using the new version of the FDL file

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martin D. Hunt
Government Printing Office
Wellington
New Zealand

USEnet address : MARTINH@GP.GOVT.NZ
PSI address    : PSI%0530147000028::MARTINH
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