The OpenVMS Sort/Merge utility sorts records or merges input
files. To sort one or more input files, specify the SORT command.
These files are sorted according to the fields you select and
one reordered output file is generated. To merge input files that
have previously been sorted according to the same key fields,
specify the MERGE command. One output file is generated.
High-Performance SORT/MERGE Utility:
On Alpha and I64 systems, you can choose the high-performance
Sort/Merge utility. It uses the same command line interface.
Any differences are noted with the appropriate SORT and
MERGE qualifiers. Use the SORTSHR logical to select the high-
performance Sort/Merge utility. Define SORTSHR to point to the
high-performance sort executable in SYS$LIBRARY as follows:
$ DEFINE SORTSHR SYS$LIBRARY:HYPERSORT.EXE
To return to SORT/MERGE, deassign SORTSHR. (The SORT/MERGE
utility is the default if SORTSHR is not defined.)
For additional information, you can enter one of the following
topics:
Command_Qualifiers Provides a brief description of the
qualifiers that can be used with the
SORT and MERGE commands.
Input_File_Qualifier Provides information about qualifiers
that can be used to modify input files
(such as /FORMAT).
Output_File_Qualifiers Provides information about qualifiers
that can be used to modify output files
(such as /SEQUENTIAL).
For a complete information about the Sort/Merge Utility, see the
OpenVMS Utility Routines Manual and the OpenVMS User's Manual.
Formats
SORT input-file-spec [,...] output-file
MERGE input-file-spec [,...] output-file
1 – Parameters
input-file-spec [,...]
Specifies the file or files to be sorted or merged. You can
specify up to 10 input files. Multiple file specifications must
be separated by commas. The default input file type is .DAT.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility allows you to specify up to 12 input files.
output-file
Specifies the file to be created. You can specify one output
file only. If you omit a file type in the file specification, the
command defaults to the file type of the first input file.
2 – Command Qualifiers
/CHECK_SEQUENCE
Verifies the sequence of the records only in Merge input
files. By default Merge checks the sequence of the records.
Use only with the MERGE command.
/COLLATING_SEQUENCE
Selects one of three predefined collating sequences for
character key fields, or specifies the name of a National
character set (NCS) collating sequence to be used in comparing
character keys. Sort arranges characters in ASCII sequence by
default; the EBCDIC and Multinational sequences can also be
used.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility currently supports all collating sequences except NCS.
/DUPLICATES
By default, Sort retains multiple records with duplicate keys.
The /NODUPLICATES qualifier eliminates all but one of multiple
records with duplicate keys.
/KEY
Describes key fields, including the position, size, sorting
order, and data type.
/PROCESS
Defines the internal sorting process. The /PROCESS qualifier
allows you to choose one of four processes: record, tag,
address, or index. By default, SORT uses a record sorting
process. Use only with the SORT command.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility currently supports only the record process.
/SPECIFICATION
Identifies a Sort or Merge specification file.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility does not currently support the use of specification
files.
/STABLE
Directs records with equal keys to the output file in their
input file order. The default condition is /NOSTABLE.
/STATISTICS
Displays a statistical summary that can be used for
optimization.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility supports the display of some statistics, but not all
of them. See the full description for information.
/WORK_FILES
Increases the number of Sort work files by any number from
1 to 10 inclusively to make each work file smaller. If the
available disks are too small or too full for work files,
increasing the number of files can improve the efficiency of
the sort operation. Use only with the SORT command.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility supports from 1 to 255 work files.
3 /CHECK_SEQUENCE
Verifies the sequence of the records only in Merge input files.
By default, Merge checks the sequence of records. Use only with
the MERGE command.
Formats
/CHECK_SEQUENCE
/NOCHECK_SEQUENCE
3.1 – Full Description
The /CHECK_SEQUENCE qualifier is unique to the MERGE command. By
default, Merge does sequence checking to ensure that the input
files have been sorted on the same key.
You can also use the /CHECK_SEQUENCE qualifier to check whether
the records of one or more files (up to 10) have been sorted.
(The records will still be directed to an output file, which you
must specify.) If you are checking whether records are sorted on
a key field other than the entire record, you must specify key
information, along with requesting sequence.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility allows you to specify up to 12 files.
3.2 – Examples
1.$ MERGE/KEY=(SIZE:4,POSITION:3)/NOCHECK_SEQUENCE PRICE1.DAT, -
_$ PRICE2.DAT PRICE.LIS
The /NOCHECK_SEQUENCE qualifier specifies that the sequence
of the input files, PRICE1.DAT and PRICE2.DAT does need not
be checked. (Checking is not necessary because the records
in those files are sorted on the same key and the sequence of
records is correct.)
2.$ MERGE/SPECIFICATION=PAYROLL.SRT/CHECK_SEQUENCE -
_$ MAY3.DAT,MAY10.DAT,MAY17.DAT,MAY24.DAT TOTAL.LIS
In this example, the specification file, PAYROLL.SRT includes
the /NOCHECK_SEQUENCE qualifier. The /CHECK_SEQUENCE qualifier
on the MERGE command line is necessary to override the
/NOCHECK_SEQUENCE qualifier in the specification file. The
sequence of records in the four input files are to be checked.
4 /COLLATING_SEQUENCE
Selects one of three predefined collating sequences for character
key fields, or specifies the name of a National character set
(NCS) collating sequence to be used in comparing character keys.
Sort arranges characters in ASCII sequence by default; the EBCDIC
and Multinational sequences can also be used.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility currently supports all collating sequences except NCS.
Formats
/COLLATING_SEQUENCE=type
/COLLATING_SEQUENCE=cs-name
4.1 – Parameters
type
o ASCII
Arranges characters according to ASCII sequence. ASCII is the
default sequence and need not be specified.
o EBCDIC
Arranges characters according to EBCDIC sequence. The
characters remain in ASCII representation; only the order
is changed.
o Multinational
Arranges characters according to Multinational sequence, which
collates the international character set. When you use the
Multinational sequence, characters are ordered according to
the following rules:
- All diacritical (accented) forms of a character are given
the collating value of the character (A', A", A` collate as
A).
- Lowercase characters are given the collating value of their
uppercase equivalents (a collates as A, a" collates as A").
- If two strings compare as equal, tie-breaking is performed.
The strings are compared to detect differences due to
diacritical marks, ignored characters, or characters that
collate as equal although they are actually different. If
the strings still compare as equal, another comparison is
done based on the numeric codes of the characters. In this
final comparison, lowercase characters are ordered before
uppercase.
Care should be taken when sorting or merging files for further
processing using the Multinational sequence. Sequence checking
procedures in most programming languages compare numeric
characters. Because Multinational is based on actual graphic
characters and not on the codes representing those characters,
normal sequence checking does not work.
cs-name
Arranges character keys according to the named sequence, which
must be a collating sequence defined in an NCS library.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility currently supports only the ASCII, EBCDIC, and
Multinational collating sequences.
4.2 – Full Description
By default, Sort/Merge arranges records according to ASCII
sequence. However, it can also arrange records according to
EBCDIC and Multinational sequence.
These three collating sequences can be modified to meet your
particular needs through the use of a specification file. You can
also define your own collating sequence by using a specification
file if one of the three collating sequences does not suit your
needs.
4.3 – Example
$ SORT/COLLATING_SEQUENCE=MULTINATIONAL -
_$ NAMES.DAT,NOM.DAT LIST.LIS
This SORT command arranges the input files NAMES.DAT and
NOM.DAT according to the Multinational collating sequence to
create the output file LIST.LIS.
5 /DUPLICATES
By default, Sort retains multiple records with duplicate keys.
The /NODUPLICATES qualifier eliminates all but one of multiple
records with duplicate keys.
Formats
/DUPLICATES
/NODUPLICATES
5.1 – Full Description
By default, Sort/Merge retains records with equal keys. The
/NODUPLICATES qualifier eliminates all but one record with equal
keys. The retained records may not appear in the same order as
they appeared in the input file. If you want to specify which
duplicate record to keep, invoke Sort at the program level and
specify an equal-key routine.
The /STABLE and the /NODUPLICATES qualifiers are mutually
exclusive.
5.2 – Example
$ SORT/KEY=(POSITION:3,SIZE:5,DECIMAL)/NODUPLICATES -
_$ ACCT1,ACCT2 ACCT.LIS
This SORT command arranges the two input files according to
the key supplied and eliminates all but one of multiple records
with equal keys.
6 /KEY
Describes key fields, including the position, size, sorting
order, and data type. Both the position and size of the key field
must be specified, except for floating point data types where the
size is known. By default, Sort reorders a file by sorting entire
records with character data in ascending order. Any other type of
key field must be specified. When you specify multiple keys, use
a separate /KEY qualifier for each key.
Format
/KEY=(field [,...])
6.1 – Fields
POSITION:n
Specifies the position of the first byte in the key field. A
value of 1 to 32,767 may be specified. The first byte in a record
is considered position 1. The POSITION:n field must be specified.
(Note that the SIZE:n field must also be specified, except for
floating point data types where the size is known.)
SIZE:n
Specifies the length of the key field. The total composite size
of all keys and the original input record length must be less
than 32,767 bytes. If the decimal sign is stored in a separate
byte in the key field, that byte is not counted toward the size
of the data.
Both the POSITION:n and SIZE:n fields must be specified, except
for floating point data types where the size is known.
The data type of the key determines what values are acceptable
when specifying size as well as the units in which the size is
specified:
o 1 to 32,767 (characters) for character data
o 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 (bytes) for binary data
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility currently supports only 1, 2, 4, and 8-byte binary
keys.
o 1 to 31 (digits) for decimal data
o No value is necessary for floating point data
ASCENDING
Orders the sorting operation in ascending alphabetical or
numerical order. ASCENDING is the default order.
DESCENDING
Orders the sorting operation in descending alphabetical or
numerical order.
CHARACTER
Specifies character data in the key field. CHARACTER is the
default data type.
BINARY
Specifies binary data in the key field.
SIGNED
Specifies signed binary or decimal data in key field. SIGNED is
the default for binary and decimal data.
UNSIGNED
Specifies unsigned binary or decimal data in the key field.
F_FLOATING
Specifies F_FLOATING format data in the key field.
D_FLOATING
Specifies D_FLOATING format data in the key field.
G_FLOATING
Specifies G_FLOATING format data in the key field.
H_FLOATING
Specifies H_FLOATING format data in the key field.
High-performance Sort/Merge: Not supported by the high-
performance Sort/Merge utility.
S_FLOATING
On Alpha and I64 systems, specifies IEEE S_FLOATING format data
in the key field.
T_FLOATING
On Alpha and I64 systems, specifies IEEE T_FLOATING format data
in the key field.
DECIMAL
Specifies decimal data in the key field.
TRAILING_SIGN
Specifies trailing sign decimal data in the key field. TRAILING_
SIGN is the default for decimal data.
LEADING_SIGN
Specifies leading sign decimal data in the key field. The leading
sign must be in the first position of the field and the field
must be left zero padded.
OVERPUNCHED_SIGN
Specifies overpunched decimal data in the key field. OVERPUNCHED_
SIGN is the default for decimal data.
SEPARATE_SIGN
Specifies separate sign decimal data in the key field.
ZONED
Specifies zoned decimal data in the key field.
High-performance Sort/Merge: Not supported by the high-
performance Sort/Merge utility.
PACKED_DECIMAL
Specifies packed decimal data in the key field.
NUMBER:n
Specifies the order of priority of each key if you do not list
multiple keys in the order of their priority. A value of 1 to 255
may be specified.
6.2 – Full Description
The /KEY qualifier specifies all the necessary information about
a key field. If the file is to be sorted using entire records
with character data in ascending order, you do not need to
specify the key information.
When a key field must be described, you must specify both the
position and the size of the key. In addition, if the sorting
or merging operation is to be done in descending alphabetic or
numeric order, specify DESCENDING in the key description.
If the data in the key fields is not character data, you must
specify the data type. The following data types are recognized by
the Sort/Merge utility:
BINARY, [SIGNED]
BINARY, UNSIGNED
CHARACTER
DECIMAL, LEADING_SIGN, SEPARATE_SIGN [SIGNED]
DECIMAL, LEADING_SIGN, [OVERPUNCHED_SIGN, SIGNED]
DECIMAL [,SIGNED, TRAILING_SIGN, OVERPUNCHED_SIGN]
DECIMAL, [TRAILING SIGN], SEPARATE_SIGN, [SIGNED]
DECIMAL, UNSIGNED
D_FLOATING
F_FLOATING
G_FLOATING
H_FLOATING
PACKED_DECIMAL
S_FLOATING (Alpha and I64 systems only)
T_FLOATING (Alpha and I64 systems only)
ZONED
The items in brackets are defaults and need not be specified.
Multiple Keys
You can specify up to 255 key fields in a sorting operation. If
you do specify multiple keys, decide which is primary, which is
secondary, and so on; then, in the command string, list them in
the order of their priority.
By default, Sort assigns 1 to the first key specified in the
command line, 2 to the second key, and so on. If you do not list
the keys in the order of their priority, specify the order of
each with the parameter NUMBER:n.
For each Sort key, you must use a separate /KEY qualifier.
If Sort finds /KEY parameters repeated after a single /KEY
qualifier, it does not treat these as specifications for multiple
keys; instead, the duplicate parameters override previously
specified parameters.
6.3 – Example
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:16,SIZ:3)/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:11) -
_$ /KEY=(POS:40,SIZ:2,DESC) YRENDAVG.DAT YRAVGSRT.LIS
This SORT command identifies three key fields. The input file,
YRENDAVG, is first sorted by the key beginning in position
16, then by the key beginning in position 1, and finally by
the key beginning in position 40. The third key used sorts in
descending order.
7 /PROCESS
Defines the internal sorting process. The /PROCESS qualifier
allows you to choose one of four processes: record, tag, address,
or index. By default, SORT uses a record sorting process. Use
only with the SORT command.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility currently supports only the record process.
Format
/PROCESS=type
7.1 – Parameters
type
o RECORD
Keeps records intact while sorting and produces an output file
consisting of complete records. Record is the default sorting
process.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility currently supports only the record process.
o TAG
Sorts only the keys and then rereads the input file to produce
an output file consisting of complete records.
o ADDRESS
Sorts only the keys and produces an output file that is an
index of record addresses in binary format. The index must be
submitted to a program for further processing.
o INDEX
Creates an output file containing both RFAs and key fields,
plus a file number when sorting multiple files. The format
of these key fields is the same as in the input files. If the
program needs key field content for a decision during future
processing, select index sort rather than address sort.
7.2 – Example
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:40,SIZ:2,DESC)/PROCESS=TAG YRENDAVG.DAT -
_$ DESCYRAVG.LIS
This sort operation uses a tag sorting process to create the
output file DESCYRAVG.LIS.
8 /SPECIFICATION
Identifies a Sort or Merge specification file.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility does not currently support the use of specification
files.
Format
/SPECIFICATION=file-spec
8.1 – Qualifier Value
file-spec
Specifies the Sort/Merge specification file. The default file
type is .SRT.
8.2 – Full Description
The /SPECIFICATION qualifier identifies the specification file to
be used in a sort or merge operation. A specification file allows
you to do the following:
o Change the format and length of the records in the output file
o Conditionally alter record order and data fields
o Omit specified records from the process
o Include specified records in the process
o Change the way in which characters are ordered
o Reassign work files
o Define commonly used sort or merge operations
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility does not currently support the use of specification
files.
Specification files may be created by any standard editor or the
DCL CREATE command. The commands within a specification file are
formatted differently than those on the DCL command line and some
have different meanings.
Each command in the specification file should start with a
slash(/), and continuation characters are not required if a
command spans more than one line. Comments can be included in
a specification file by preceding them with an exclamation point
(!).
Many of the qualifiers used in the specification file are similar
to the DCL qualifiers used in the Sort/Merge command line. Note,
however, that the format of these qualifiers can be different.
For example, the /KEY qualifier at DCL level has a different
format than the /KEY qualifier in the specification file.
8.3 – Example
$ SORT/SPECIFICATION=ACCTS.SRT SALES1.DAT,SALES2.DAT MAILING.LIS
This SORT command arranges the input files according to the
instructions detailed in the specification file, ACCTS.SRT.
9 /STABLE
Directs records with equal keys to the output file in their input
file order. The default condition is /NOSTABLE.
Formats
/STABLE
/NOSTABLE
9.1 – Full Description
When the input files contain records with equal keys, those
records may not maintain the same order that they appeared in
the input file. Specifying the /STABLE qualifier arranges records
with equal keys in the order of the input files on output. If you
use this qualifier when sorting multiple input files, on output,
records with equal keys in the first file precede those from the
second file and so on.
The /STABLE and /NODUPLICATES qualifiers are mutually exclusive.
9.2 – Example
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:5,DECIMAL)/STABLE PRICESA.DAT,PRICESB.DAT, -
_$ PRICESC.DAT SUMMARY.LIS
In this sort operation, records with equal keys from
PRICESA.DAT will be listed first, followed by those from
PRICESB.DAT, followed by those from PRICESC.DAT.
10 /STATISTICS
Displays a statistical summary that can be used for optimization.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility suppports only the following statistics: Records read,
Records sorted, Records output, and Input record length.
Format
/STATISTICS
10.1 – Full Description
When the /STATISTICS qualifier is used, Sort/Merge displays
statistics in SYS$OUTPUT. You can use these statistics to
judge the efficiency of the ordering operation and to determine
adjustments that can improve its performance. To save these
statistics in a file, specify the following command:
$ DEFINE/USER SYS$ERROR output-file
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility displays only the following statistics: Records read,
Records sorted, Records output, and Input record length.
The following statistical display results when you use the
/STATISTICS qualifier:
OpenVMS Sort/Merge Statistics
Records read: nnn Input record length: nnn
Records sorted: nnn Internal length: nnn
Records output: nnn Output record length: nnn
Working set extent: nnn Sort tree size: nnn
Virtual memory: nnn Number of initial runs: nnn
Direct I/O: nnn Maximum merge order: nnn
Buffered I/O: nnn Number of merge passes: nnn
Page faults: nnn Work file allocation: nnn
Elapsed time: nn:nn:nn.nn Elapsed CPU: nn:nn:nn.nn
Records read is the number of records read by Sort or Merge.
Records sorted is the number of records that have been processed
using Sort. This number could be less than the number of records
read if a specification file is used to select only certain
records for the sort or merge operation.
Records output is the number of records written to the output
file. This number could be less than the number of records sorted
if /NODUPLICATES was selected or if I/O errors occurred when the
output records were being written.
Working set extent shows the number of pages in the process
working set extent. This value is used as an upper limit on the
size of the sort data structure. Adjusting this value is one way
to improve the efficiency of a sort operation.
Virtual memory is the number of pages of virtual memory added to
the Sort image to hold the data.
The total of the direct I/O and buffered I/O is the number of
I/O movements needed to read and write data. The lower this total
value is, the more efficient the ordering operation.
The number of page faults indicates how well the data fits into
memory: the higher the number of page faults, the less efficient
the ordering operation.
Elapsed time is the total wall clock time used by the sort or
merge operation in hours, minutes, seconds, and hundredths of
seconds.
The input record length value is obtained from the Record
Management Services (OpenVMS RMS) unless the user supplies it.
Internal length is the size in bytes of an internal format node.
This includes any keys, data, a word to store the length, record
file addresses (RFAs), and converted keys.
Output record length is the length of the output record. The
length is computed from the input record length, the sort
process, and the record reformatting requested.
Sort tree size is the number of records that fit in sort's
internal data structure.
Number of initial runs is one indication of how well the data
fits into memory.
The maximum merge order is the maximum number of sorted strings
that are merged at one time.
The number of merge passes is the number of times the Sort
utility merges strings until one sorted output string is
produced. The number of initial runs and the number of merge
passes indicate how well the data fits in memory. The higher
these numbers, the further the working set size is from
containing the data and the longer the sorting takes.
Work file allocation is the number of blocks used for the work
files. When more than one merge pass is needed, this size is
approximately twice the size of the input file allocation.
Elapsed CPU is the CPU time used by the ordering operation;
it does not include time spent waiting for I/O operations to
complete or time spent waiting while another process executes.
10.2 – Example
$ SORT/STATISTICS PRICE1.DAT,PRICE2.DAT PRICE.LIS
This SORT command results in the following statistical display:
OpenVMS Sort/Merge Statistics
Records read: 793 Input record length: 80
Records sorted: 793 Internal length: 80
Records output: 793 Output record length: 80
Working set extent: 100 Sort tree size: 412
Virtual memory: 433 Number of initial runs: 2
Direct I/O: 22 Maximum merge order: 2
Buffered I/O: 9 Number of merge passes: 1
Page faults: 3418 Work file allocation: 114
Elapsed time: 00:00:05.98 Elapsed CPU: 00:00:03.63
In the sample statistics display, the Sort data structure
size is limited by the small working set extent. By doubling
the working set extent you can almost double the Sort data
structure size, enabling all the records to fit in memory
without using work files.
11 /WORK_FILES
Increases the number of Sort work files by any number from 1 to
10 inclusively to make each work file smaller. If the available
disks are too small or too full for work files, increasing the
number of files can improve the efficiency of the sort operation.
Use only with the SORT command.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility allows you to specify from 1 to 255 work files.
Format
/WORK_FILES=n
11.1 – Qualifier Value
n
Specifies the number of work files requested; 1 to 10 files may
be specified. The default value is 2.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility allows you to specify from 1 to 255 work files. The
default value is 1.
11.2 – Full Description
Sort does not create work files until it needs them. If Sort
needs work files, it creates them, places them in the SYS$SCRATCH
directory, and assigns them SORTWORKn logicals. Usually, there
is no advantage to requesting more than one work file. However,
if the available disks are too small or too full for Sort work
files, you can increase the number of work files to make each
work file smaller.
High-performance Sort/Merge: You can also enhance performance by
assigning each work file to a different disk.
11.3 – Examples
1.$ ASSIGN DRA5: SORTWORK0
$ ASSIGN DB0: SORTWORK1
$ ASSIGN DB1: SORTWORK2
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:80)/WORK_FILES=3 -
_$ STATS1,STATS2,STATS3,STATS4 SUMMARY.LIS
Because the input files in this sort operation are large files,
specifying three work files improves the efficiency of the sort
operation.
Note that you can also assign the work files to a specific
directory on a device by including the directory name. For
example, to assign SORTWORK0 to the [WORKSPACE] directory on
DRA5, enter the following command:
$ ASSIGN DRA5:[WORKSPACE] SORTWORK0
12 – Input File Qualifier
Must be specified immediately after the input file specification
in the Sort or Merge command line.
12.1 /FORMAT
Defines input file characteristics; allows you to specify or
override record or file size.
You can also use /FORMAT as an output file qualifier; enter HELP
SORT OUTPUT_FILE_QUALIFIERS/FORMAT at the DCL prompt for more
information.
Format
input-file-spec/FORMAT=(type:n,[...])
12.1.1 – Qualifier Values
RECORD_SIZE:n
Specifies the input file's longest record length (LRL) in bytes.
The maximum longest record length that can be specified depends
on the file organization:
Sequential files 32,767
Relative files 16,383
Indexed-sequential files 16,362
These totals include control bytes for variable records with
fixed-length control (VFC) format.
FILE_SIZE:n
Specifies input file size in blocks. The maximum file size
accepted is 4,294,967,295 blocks.
12.1.2 – Full Description
Sort obtains the file's longest record length (LRL) and file size
from RMS. If you know the LRL that RMS has defined for the input
files is incorrect, you can override this value by specifying the
record size with RECORD_SIZE. For multiple input files, LRL is
the length of the longest record in all files.
If you do not know the LRL value for a file, use the ANALYZE/RMS_
FILE command. The LRL value appears in the file attributes
section in the statistical report generated for the file that
you specify.
Sort uses input file size information to determine the amount
of memory needed, as well as the size of the work files for the
sort operation. If the file size is unknown (for example, you
are sorting files not residing on disk or standard ANSI magnetic
tape), Sort assumes a fairly large file size.
If this default is too large, Sort overestimates its memory and
work file requirements; the sort operation will be more efficient
if you specify a smaller input file size. If the default is too
small, Sort underestimates its memory requirements; therefore,
you should specify a larger input file size, provided the Sort
data structure size is not limited by the working set extent.
12.1.3 – Examples
1.$ SORT/KEY=(POS:40,SIZ:2,DESC) -
_$CRA0:YRENDAVG.DAT/FORMAT=(RECORD_SIZE:41,FILE_SIZE:3) -
_$DESCYRAVG.LIS
Because the input file YRENDAVG.DAT does not reside on a
disk device or ANSI magnetic tape, file organization must be
described by the /FORMAT qualifier.
2.$ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SI:80) STATS.DAT SUMMARY.LIS/FORMAT=FIXED:80
The input file STATS.DAT consists of variable-length records
that are 80 bytes in length. The /FORMAT qualifier specifies
that the output file SUMMARY.LIS consists of fixed-length
records.
13 – Output File Qualifiers
Must be specified immediately after the output file specification
in the SORT or MERGE command line.
13.1 /ALLOCATION
Specifies the number of blocks to be preallocated for the output
file. Used for optimization when you know that the output file
allocation will differ substantially from the total input
file allocation (because you are reformatting data or omitting
records).
Format
output-file-spec/ALLOCATION=n
13.1.1 – Qualifier Value
n
Specifies the number of blocks to be allocated. A value of 1 to
4,294,967,295 is allowed.
13.1.2 – Full Description
Sort/Merge preallocates space for the output file based on total
input file allocation, thereby avoiding the overhead of extending
the file every time another few blocks are written to it.
However, if you know that the output file allocation will differ
substantially from the total input file allocation (because you
are reformatting data or omitting records), you can specify the
number of blocks to be preallocated for the output file.
The /ALLOCATION qualifier is required if the /CONTIGUOUS
qualifier is used.
13.1.3 – Example
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:80) STATS.DAT -
_$ SUMMARY.LIS/ALLOCATION=1000/CONTIGUOUS
This SORT command allocates 1000 contiguous blocks for the
output file SUMMARY.LIS.
13.2 /BUCKET_SIZE
Specifies the OpenVMS RMS bucket size (the number of 512-byte
blocks per bucket) for the output file. Used with relative and
indexed-sequential output disk files for optimization.
Format
output-file-spec/BUCKET_SIZE=n
13.2.1 – Qualifier Value
n
Specifies the bucket size. A value of 1 to 32 is allowed.
13.2.2 – Full Description
Use the /BUCKET_SIZE qualifier with relative and indexed-
sequential output disk files to specify OpenVMS RMS bucket size
(the number of 512-byte blocks per bucket). If the output file
organization is the same as for the input files, the default
value is the same as the first input file bucket size. If output
file organization is different, the default value is 1. The
maximum number of blocks per bucket is 32.
13.2.3 – Example
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:80) STATS1.DAT,STATS2.DAT -
_$ SUMMARY.LIS/BUCKET_SIZE=16/RELATIVE
This SORT command results in the output file SUMMARY.LIS that
has a bucket size of 16 with relative organization.
13.3 /CONTIGUOUS
Requests that the output file be stored in contiguous disk
blocks, thereby decreasing access time. Note that you must also
specify the /ALLOCATION qualifier because if the preallocated
space is too small, OpenVMS RMS may be unable to extend the file
contiguously.
Format
output-file-spec/CONTIGUOUS
13.3.1 – Full Description
By default, Sort/Merge does not allocate contiguous disk blocks
for the output file. You can request, however, that the output
file be stored in contiguous disk blocks by specifying the
/CONTIGUOUS qualifier, thereby decreasing access time. If you use
the /CONTIGUOUS qualifier, you must also specify the /ALLOCATION
qualifier because if the preallocated space is too small, OpenVMS
RMS may be unable to extend the file contiguously.
13.3.2 – Example
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:80) STATS.DAT -
_$ SUMMARY.LIS/ALLOCATION=1000/CONTIGUOUS
This SORT command allocates 1,000 contiguous blocks for the
output file SUMMARY.LIS.
13.4 /FORMAT
Specifies the output file record format if it differs from the
input file format.
Format
output-file-spec/FORMAT=(type:n ...)
13.4.1 – Qualifier Values
BLOCK_SIZE:n
Specifies the output file's block size, in bytes, if you have
directed the file to magnetic tape. You can also accept the
default. If the input file is a tape file, the block size of
the output file defaults to that of the input file. Otherwise,
the output file block size defaults to the size used when the
tape was mounted.
Acceptable values for block size n range from 20 to 65,532. To
ensure correct data interchange with other OpenVMS systems,
however, specify a block size of not more than 512 bytes. For
compatibility with systems that are not OpenVMS, the
block size should not exceed 2,048 bytes.
CONTROLLED:n
Specifies variable with fixed-length control (VFC) records in the
output file.
n
Optionally indicates the maximum record size (in bytes) of the
output records. The maximum record size allowed depends on the
file organization.
Sequential files 32,767
Relative files 16,383
Indexed-sequential files 16,362
These totals include control bytes. If you do not specify the
maximum record size, the default is a length large enough to hold
the longest output record.
FIXED:n
Specifies fixed-length records in the output file.
SIZE:n
Specifies the size, in bytes, of the fixed portion of VFC
(CONTROLLED) records, up to a maximum of 255 bytes. If you do
not specify SIZE, the default is the size of the fixed portion of
the first input file. If you specify this size as 0, OpenVMS RMS
defaults the value to 2 bytes.
VARIABLE:n
Specifies variable-length records in the output file.
13.4.2 – Full Description
If the sort operation is a record or tag sort, the default output
record format is the same as the first input file record format.
If the sort operation is an address or index sort, the default
output record format is fixed record format. If the input files
have different record formats, Sort provides an output record
size that is large enough to contain the largest record in the
input files.
When you specify the output record format, you can indicate
the maximum record size, in bytes, of the output records. You
can specify fixed-length records, variable-length records, or
variable with fixed-length control records.
13.4.3 – Example
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:80) STATS.DAT SUMMARY.LIS/FORMAT=FIXED:80
The input file STATS.DAT consists of variable-length records
that are 80 bytes in length. The /FORMAT qualifier specifies
that the output file, SUMMARY.LIS, consists of fixed-length
records.
13.5 /INDEXED_SEQUENTIAL
Defines the output file organization as indexed sequential. The
output file must exist and must be empty. Used with the /OVERLAY
qualifier.
Format
output-file-spec/INDEXED_SEQUENTIAL
13.5.1 – Full Description
If the organization of the output file is to be different
from that of the input files, then you must specify the
new organization. Use the /INDEXED_SEQUENTIAL qualifier to
define indexed-sequential organization for the output file.
Additionally, the output file must exist and must be empty, and
you must use the /OVERLAY qualifier.
13.5.2 – Example
$ CREATE/FDL=NEW.FDL AVERAGE.DAT
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:80) DATA.DAT,STATS.DAT -
_$ AVERAGE.DAT/INDEXED_SEQUENTIAL/OVERLAY
The CREATE/FDL command creates the empty file AVERAGE.DAT. The
SORT command specifies that the output file have an indexed-
sequential organization and be written to the empty file
AVERAGE.DAT.
13.6 /OVERLAY
Specifies an existing empty file that the output file is to be
overlaid, or written to. The /OVERLAY qualifier is required when
you use the /INDEXED_SEQUENTIAL qualifier.
Format
output-file-spec/OVERLAY
13.6.1 – Full Description
To specify that an empty file is to be overlaid with sorted
records, use the /OVERLAY qualifier.
If the input file organization is indexed-sequential, the output
file must already exist and must be empty. If the output file
is not empty, /OVERLAY does not write over the file. Instead, it
appends the result of the sort to the existing output file.
If the input file organization is sequential or relative, you can
create an empty file for the sorted records using an OpenVMS RMS
program and use the /OVERLAY qualifier to specify that the output
file is to be overlaid.
You can use the Create/FDL utility to create an empty data
file; use the /OVERLAY qualifier to specify that Sort is to
write output to that file. Any attributes that you specify when
creating the empty file then become attributes of the Sort output
file.
See the OpenVMS Record Management Services Reference Manual for
more information. You can also refer to this manual if you want
to use the Convert utility to produce an indexed-sequential file
on output.
13.6.2 – Example
$ CREATE/FDL=NEW.FDL AVERAGE.DAT
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:80) STATS.DAT AVERAGE.DAT/OVERLAY
The FDL file NEW.FDL specifies special attributes for the
file AVERAGE.DAT. When Sort writes output to that file, the
resulting Sort output file has the attributes specified by the
FDL file.
13.7 /RELATIVE
Defines the output file organization as relative.
Format
output-file-spec/RELATIVE
13.7.1 – Full Description
If the organization of the output file is to be different
from that of the input files, then you must specify the new
organization. If you do not specify file organization, the
default for record and tag sorts is the organization of the
first input file. You must use the /RELATIVE qualifier to specify
relative output file organization.
13.7.2 – Example
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:80) STATS.DAT SUMMARY.LIS/RELATIVE
Because the input file STATS.DAT is not a relative file and
the output file, SUMMARY.LIS, will be, /RELATIVE qualifies the
output file specification.
13.8 /SEQUENTIAL
Defines output file organization as sequential. This is the
default for address and index sorts. (The default for record
and tag sorts is the organization of the first input file.)
Format
output-file-spec/SEQUENTIAL
13.8.1 – Full Description
If the organization of the output file is to be different from
that of the input files, you must specify the new organization.
If you do not specify file organization, the default for record
and tag sorts is the organization of the first input file. If you
do not specify file organization, the default organization for
address and index sorts is sequential.
Use the /SEQUENTIAL qualifier when the default is not sequential
file organization and you want an output file with sequential
file format.
13.8.2 – Example
$ SORT/KEY=(POS:1,SIZ:80) STATS.DAT SUMMARY.LIS/SEQUENTIAL
Because the input file STATS.DAT is not a sequential file and
the output file SUMMARY.LIS will be, /SEQUENTIAL qualifies the
output file specification.
14 – Specification File Qualifiers
Qualifiers used in a Sort/Merge specification file are similar
to the DCL qualifiers used in the SORT or MERGE command line.
However, in some cases, the format of these qualifiers can be
different. For example, the /KEY qualifier at DCL level has a
different format than the /KEY qualifier in the specification
file.
If you specify DCL command qualifiers in the SORT or MERGE
command line, those qualifiers override corresponding entries
in the specification file.
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility does not currently support the use of specification
files.
14.1 – Specification File Example
/FIELD=(NAME=RECORD_TYPE,POS:1,SIZ:1) ! Records type, one-byte field
/FIELD=(NAME=PRICE,POS:2,SIZ:8) ! Price field, both files
/FIELD=(NAME=TAXES,POS:10,SIZ:5) ! Taxes field, both files
/FIELD=(NAME=STYLE_A,POS:15,SIZ:10) ! Style field, format A file
/FIELD=(NAME=STYLE_B,POS:20,SIZ:10) ! Style field, format B file
/FIELD=(NAME=ZIP_A,POS:25,SIZ:5) ! Zip code field, format A file
/FIELD=(NAME=ZIP_B,POS:15,SIZ:5) ! Zip code field, format B file
/CONDITION=(NAME=FORMAT_A, ! Condition test, format A file
TEST=(RECORD_TYPE EQ "A"))
/CONDITION=(NAME=FORMAT_B, ! Condition test, format B file
TEST=(RECORD_TYPE EQ "B"))
KEY=ZIP_A,
DATA=PRICE,
DATA=TAXES,
DATA=STYLE_A,
DATA=ZIP_A)
/INCLUDE=(CONDITION=FORMAT_B, ! Output format, type B records
KEY=ZIP_B,
DATA=PRICE,
DATA=TAXES,
DATA=STYLE_B,
DATA=ZIP_B)
In this example, two input files from two different branches of
a real estate agency are sorted according to the instructions
specified in a specification file. The records in the first
file that begin with an A in the first position have this
format:
|A|PRICE|TAXES|STYLE|ZIP|
1 2 10 15 25
The records in the second file that begin with a B in the first
position and have the style and zip code fields reversed, as
follows:
|B|PRICE|TAXES|ZIP|STYLE|
1 2 10 15 20
To sort these two files on the zip code field in the format
of record A, first define the fields in both records with the
/FIELD qualifiers. Then, specify a test to distinguish between
the two types of records with the /CONDITION qualifiers.
Finally, the /INCLUDE qualifiers change the record format of
type B to record format of type A on output.
Note that, if you specify either key or data fields in an
/INCLUDE qualifier, you must explicitly specify all the key and
data fields for the sort operation in the /INCLUDE qualifier.
Also note that records that are not type A or type B are
omitted from the sort.
14.2 /CDD_PATH_NAME
Identifies fields and attributes defined for use with the
Common Data Dictionary (CDD/Plus). Once the fields have been
identified, they can then be used later with other specification
file qualifiers, such as /KEY, /CONDITION, /INCLUDE, or /OMIT.
You can use the /CDD_PATH_NAME qualifier only if your system has
CDD/Plus installed.
Format
/CDD_PATH_NAME="cdd-path-name"
14.2.1 – Qualifier Values
"cdd-path-name"
Specifies the CDD/Plus record definition within CDD/Plus.
14.2.2 – Full Description
/CDD_PATH_NAME can be used in place of or in conjunction with
/FIELD statements. The /CDD_PATH_NAME qualifier identifies
CDD/Plus defined fields and attributes for SORT. Identifying
these fields with this qualifier is the same as specifying them
with the /FIELD qualifier.
14.2.3 – Example
/CDD_PATH_NAME="customer"
The /CDD_PATH_NAME qualifier identifies the customer record,
which was previously identified in CDD/Plus.
14.3 /CHECK_SEQUENCE
Specifies whether or not the sequence of records in the input
files is checked when files are merged. By default the sequence
of records is not checked. Use only with the MERGE command.
Formats
/CHECK_SEQUENCE
/NOCHECK_SEQUENCE
14.3.1 – Full Description
By default, Merge does not check the sequence of records in
the input files. If you want to override that default, specify
/CHECK_SEQUENCE in your specification file text.
14.3.2 – Example
/NOCHECK_SEQUENCE
The /NOCHECK_SEQUENCE qualifier overrides Merge's default
behavior.
14.4 /COLLATING_SEQUENCE
Specifies the collating instructions for a sort or merge
operation. With the /COLLATING_SEQUENCE qualifier, you can
specify ASCII (the default), EBCDIC, or Multinational sequence;
you can also define your own sequence.
Formats
/COLLATING_SEQUENCE=
(SEQUENCE=sequence_type
[,MODIFICATION=(character operator character)]
[,IGNORE=character or character-range,...]
[,FOLD]
[,[NO]TIE_BREAK])
14.4.1 – Qualifier Values
SEQUENCE=sequence_type
ASCII
Specifies ASCII collating sequence, which is the default
sequence.
EBCDIC
Arranges characters according to EBCDIC sequence. The characters
remain in ASCII representation; only the order is changed.
MULTINATIONAL
Arranges characters according to Multinational sequence, which
collates the international character set. When you use the
Multinational sequence, characters are ordered according to the
following rules:
o All diacritical forms of a character are given the collating
value of the character (A',A",A` collate as A).
o Lowercase characters are given the collating value of their
uppercase equivalents (a collates as A, a" collates as A").
o If two strings compare as equal, tie-breaking is performed.
The strings are compared to detect differences due to
diacritical marks, ignored characters, or characters that
collate as equal although they are actually different. If the
strings still compare as equal, another comparison is done
based on the numeric codes of the characters. In this final
comparison, lowercase characters are ordered before uppercase.
Care should be taken when sorting or merging files for further
processing using the Multinational sequence. Sequence checking
procedures in most programming languages compare numeric
characters. Because Multinational is based on actual graphic
characters and not on the codes representing those characters,
normal sequence checking does not work.
user-defined-sequence
Specifies a user-defined collating sequence. Define a collating
sequence by specifying a string of single or double characters
or ranges of single characters. (A double character is any set
of two single characters collated as if they were one character.
For example, "CH" can be defined to collate as "C".) This string
should be enclosed in parentheses.
You can also represent characters by their corresponding octal,
decimal, or hexadecimal values using the radix operators: %O, %D,
%X.
You must observe the following rules when defining your collating
sequence:
o Enclose characters in quotation marks (" ").
o Separate each character and character range with a comma, and
enclose the entire list in parentheses.
o Give all the characters appearing in the character keys in
the sort or merge operation a collating value. Any character
not given a collating value will be ignored unless the FOLD or
MODIFICATION options are specified.
o Do not define a character more than once.
o Do not specify the null character by using quotation marks
(""). Instead, use a radix operator such as %X0.
o Specify quotation marks by enclosing them within another set
of quotation marks ("" "") or by using a radix operator.
MODIFICATION=(character operator character)
Specifies a change to the collating sequence specified in the
SEQUENCE option. You can modify the ASCII, EBCDIC, Multinational,
or user-defined sequence. The sequence being modified must be
specified with the SEQUENCE qualifier even if the sequence is the
default (ASCII).
character
Specifies a character in the collating sequence. You can specify
a single or double character. A double character is any set
of two single characters collated as if they were a single
character. Enclose the character in quotation marks.
operator
Specifies the operator used to compare the characters. You can
specify greater than (>), less than (<), or equal to (=).
These are the kinds of changes permitted in the MODIFICATION
option:
o A single or double character can be equated to a single
character that has already been assigned a collating value
("a"="A").
o A single or double character can collate after a single
character that has already been assigned a collating value
("CH">"C").
o A single or double character can collate before a single
character that has already been assigned a collating value
("D"<"A").
o A double character can be equated to a previously defined
double character ("CH" = "SH").
o A single character can be equated to a double character
sequence ("C" = "CH").
IGNORE
Specifies that Sort/Merge ignore a character or character range
in the collating sequence when making an initial comparison.
Note that, when tie-breaking takes place, Sort/Merge considers
the characters specified with the IGNORE qualifier. Tie-breaking
takes place when two or more strings have compared as equal and
the Multinational sequence is being used or when two or more
strings have compared as equal and the TIE_BREAK qualifier has
been specified.
FOLD
Specifies that all lowercase letters be given the collating value
of their uppercase equivalents. For ASCII, EBCDIC, and user-
defined sequences, the lowercase letters are a to z.
Because the lowercase letters in the Multinational sequence
already have the collating value of their uppercase equivalents,
using FOLD is unnecessary.
TIE_BREAK
Specifies whether or not Sort/Merge should use numeric values to
break any ties between characters that have equivalent values.
By default, tie-breaking occurs with the Multinational sequence.
Specifying NOTIE_BREAK overrides this default and ensures that no
further comparisons are made after the initial comparison.
A TIE_BREAK option must be specified for the ASCII, EBCDIC, and
user-defined sequences in order for tie-breaking to occur. TIE_
BREAK should be used when specifying FOLD or MODIFICATION for the
these sequences.
14.4.2 – Full Description
The MODIFICATION, IGNORE, FOLD, and [NO]TIE_BREAK options of
the /COLLATING_SEQUENCE qualifier can also be used to modify the
collating sequence. You can make more than one modification to
the collating sequence. If you intend to modify any collating
sequence, you must specify the sequence in the SEQUENCE option,
even if it is the default sequence (ASCII).
Because the FOLD, MODIFICATION, and IGNORE qualifiers are
processed in the order in which they are specified, care should
be taken when specifying the order of those qualifiers. Normally,
FOLD should be specified after all MODIFICATION and IGNORE
qualifiers to ensure that the effects of the MODIFICATION and
IGNORE qualifiers apply to uppercase and lowercase characters.
You can request that Sort/Merge ignore a character or character
range within the given collating sequence by using the IGNORE
qualifier.
By default, in the Multinational collating sequence, Sort/Merge
folds lowercase letters into their uppercase equivalents. If
you want this folding to occur in the other collating sequences,
you must specify a FOLD qualifier with the instructions for the
collating sequence.
Also, by default in the Multinational collating sequence,
Sort/Merge uses numeric comparisons to break any ties in the
collating values. Ties occur when two equal keys collate the
same. If you do not want the default when using the Multinational
collating sequence, specify the keyword NOTIE_BREAK. For tie
breaking in the other collating sequences, specify a TIE_BREAK
qualifier.
14.4.3 – Examples
1./COLLATING_SEQUENCE=(SEQUENCE=ASCII,IGNORE=("-"," "))
This /COLLATING_SEQUENCE qualifier with an IGNORE option
specified results in the following fields being compared as
equal before tie breaking:
252-3412
252 3412
2523412
2./COLLATING_SEQUENCE=(SEQUENCE=("A"-"L","LL","M"-"R","RR","S"-"Z"))
This /COLLATING_SEQUENCE qualifier defines a sequence in
which the double character LL collates as a single character
between L and M, and the double character RR collates as a
single character between R and S. These double characters
would otherwise appear in their usual alphabetical order. By
default, this user-defined sequence does not define any other
characters, such as lowercase a to z.
3./COLLATING_SEQUENCE=(SEQUENCE=
("AN","EB","AR","PR","AY","UN","UL",
"UG","EP","CT","OV","EC","0"-"9"),
MODIFICATION=("'"="19"),
FOLD)
This /COLLATING_SEQUENCE qualifier defines a collating
sequence. It includes a user-defined sequence that gives each
month a unique value in chronological order. For example, if
you want to order a file called SEMINAR.DAT according to the
date, the file SEMINAR.DAT would be set up as follows:
16 NOV 1983 Communication Skills
05 APR 1984 Coping with Alcoholism
11 Jan '84 How to Be Assertive
12 OCT 1983 Improving Productivity
15 MAR 1984 Living with Your Teenager
08 FEB 1984 Single Parenting
07 Dec '83 Stress --- Causes and Cures
14 SEP 1983 Time Management
The primary key is the year field; the secondary key is the
month field. Because the month field is not numeric and you
want the months ordered chronologically, you must define
your own collating sequence. You can do this by sorting on
the second two letters of each month-in their chronological
sequence-giving each month a unique key value.
The MODIFICATION option specifies that the apostrophe (') be
equated to 19, thereby allowing a comparison of '83 and 1984.
The FOLD option specifies that uppercase and lowercase letters
are treated as equal.
The output from this sort operation appears as follows:
14 SEP 1983 Time Management
12 OCT 1983 Improving Productivity
16 NOV 1983 Communication Skills
07 Dec '83 Stress --- Causes and Cures
11 Jan '84 How to Be Assertive
08 FEB 1984 Single Parenting
15 MAR 1984 Living with Your Teenager
05 APR 1984 Coping with Alcoholism
14.5 /CONDITION
Defines conditions for key and data handling and for record
selection.
Formats
/CONDITION= (NAME=condition-name,
TEST=(field-name operator test-condition
[logical-operator ...]))
14.5.1 – Qualifier Values
NAME=condition-name
Specifies the name of the condition you are testing. This
condition-name can be used in /KEY, /DATA, /OMIT, and /INCLUDE
qualifiers after it has been defined using the /CONDITION
qualifier.
TEST=(field-name operator test-condition)
Specifies the conditional test.
field-name
Specifies the name of the field you are testing. The field-name
must be defined previously by a /FIELD qualifier.
operator
Specifies the logical or relational operator used in the
conditional test. The logical operators that you can use are
AND and OR. The relational operators that you can specify are as
follows:
EQ Equal to
NE Not equal to
GT Greater than
GE Greater than or equal to
LT Less than
LE Less than or equal to
test-condition
Specifies the constant or field-name against which you are
testing. A constant is specified with the following format:
Decimal_digits (default)
%Ddecimal_digits
%Ooctal_digits
%Xhexadecimal_digits
"character"
NOTE
Normally, you do not need to specify the radix operator
(%D); however, test-condition will assume the same data type
as the field-name.
The field-name must be defined by a /FIELD qualifier.
14.5.2 – Full Description
A specification file can be used to change the relative order of
a record or to alter the contents of certain fields of a record.
You must first use a /CONDITION qualifier to define a conditional
test. Once you define a test using a /CONDITIONAL qualifier, you
can use that same test with a /KEY or /DATA qualifier to change
the order of record. You can also use the test with an /OMIT or
/INCLUDE qualifier to change the contents of a record.
If you want to change the order of records in the output file,
first specify a condition name with a /CONDITION qualifier and
set up a test for what meets that condition. Then, specify the
relative order with a /KEY qualifier of the form:
/KEY=(IF condition-name THEN value ELSE value)
You can use any values to specify the relative order of the
records.
The /CONDITION qualifier also permits you to change the contents
of a field in the output records. First specify a condition name,
and then set up a test for what meets the condition. Specify the
contents you want in the field in a /DATA qualifier of the form:
/DATA=(IF condition-name THEN "new-contents" ELSE "new-contents")
14.5.3 – Examples
1./FIELD=(NAME=AGENT,POSITION:20,SIZE:15)
/CONDITION=(NAME=AGENCY,
TEST=(AGENT EQ "Real-T Trust"
OR
AGENT EQ "Realty Trust"))
/DATA=(IF AGENCY THEN "Realty Trust" ELSE AGENT)
In this example, two real estate files are being sorted. One
file refers to an agency as Real-T Trust; the other refers
to the same agency as Realty Trust. The /CONDITION and /DATA
qualifiers instruct Sort to list the AGENT field in the sorted
output file as Realty Trust.
2./FIELD=(NAME=ZIP,POSITION:60,SIZE:6)
/CONDITION=(NAME=LOCATION,
TEST=(ZIP EQ "01863"))
/KEY=(IF LOCATION THEN 1
ELSE 2)
In this example, all the records with a zip code of 01863
will appear at the beginning of the sorted output file. The
conditional test is on the ZIP field, defined with the /FIELD
qualifier; the condition is named LOCATION. The values 1 and
2 in this /KEY qualifier signify a relative order for those
records that satisfy the condition and those that do not.
3./FIELD=(NAME=ZIP,POSITION:60,SIZE:6)
/CONDITION=(NAME=LOCATION,
TEST=(ZIP EQ "01863"))
/DATA=(IF LOCATION THEN "NORTH CHELMSFORD"
ELSE "Outside district")
In this example, the /CONDITION qualifier tests for the 01863
zip code. The /DATA qualifier specifies that the name of town
field will be added to the output record, depending on the test
results.
4./FIELD=(NAME=FFLOAT,POS:1,SIZ:0,F_FLOATING)
/CONDITION=(NAME=CFFLOAT,TEST=(FFLOAT GE 100))
/OMIT=(CONDITION=CFFLOAT)
In this example, the number 100 is considered to be an
F_FLOATING data type because field FFLOAT is defined as
F_FLOATING in the /FIELD qualifier.
14.6 /DATA
Specifies the fields of a record to be directed to the output
file.
Formats
/DATA= field-name
/DATA= (IF condition-name THEN "new-contents" ELSE
"new-contents")
14.6.1 – Qualifier Values
field-name
Specifies the name of a field in a record. The field-name must be
defined previously in a /FIELD qualifier.
condition-name
Specifies a condition-name that has been defined previously in a
/CONDITION qualifier.
new-contents
Specifies how the record is to be altered. The new-contents can
be a constant or a field-name that has been defined in a /FIELD
qualifier.
14.6.2 – Full Description
A /DATA qualifier must identify every field in the records you
are directing to the output file. Specify the data fields in the
order you want them to appear in the output record. By default,
the record format for an output file is the same as that for
the input file. If you want to eliminate or reorder fields from
the output record, you can use the /DATA qualifier, causing only
those fields identified by the /DATA qualifier to be directed to
the output file.
You can conditionally change the contents of a field in the
output records by first specifying a condition name and then
setting up a test for what meets the condition in a /CONDITION
qualifier. You then specify the contents you want in the field in
a /DATA qualifier of the form:
/DATA=(IF condition-name THEN "new-contents" ELSE "new-contents")
14.6.3 – Examples
1./FIELD=(NAME=AGENT,POSITION:1,SIZE:5)
/FIELD=(NAME=ZIP,POSITION:6,SIZE:3)
/FIELD=(NAME=STYLE,POSITION:10,SIZE:5)
/FIELD=(NAME=CONDITION,POSITION:16,SIZE:9)
/FIELD=(NAME=PRICE,POSITION:26,SIZE:5)
/FIELD=(NAME=TAXES,POSITION:32,SIZE:5)
/DATA=PRICE
/DATA=" "
/DATA=TAXES
/DATA=" "
/DATA=STYLE
/DATA=" "
/DATA=ZIP
/DATA=" "
/DATA=AGENT
The /FIELD qualifiers define the fields in the records from an
input file that has the following format:
AGENT ZIP STYLE CONDITION PRICE TAXES
The /DATA qualifiers, which use the field-names defined in
the /FIELD qualifiers, reformat the records to create output
records of the following format:
PRICE TAXES STYLE ZIP AGENT
2./FIELD=(NAME=AGENT,POSITION:20,SIZE:15)
/CONDITION=(NAME=AGENCY,
TEST=(AGENT EQ "Real-T Trust"
OR
AGENT EQ "Realty Trust"))
/DATA=(IF AGENCY THEN "Realty Trust" ELSE AGENT)
In this example, two real estate files are being sorted. One
file refers to an agency as Real-T Trust; the other refers
to the same agency as Realty Trust. The /CONDITION and /DATA
qualifiers instruct Sort to list the AGENT field in the sorted
output file as Realty Trust.
14.7 /FIELD
Specification File Qualifier
Defines the input record fields to be used for a sort or merge
operation or in a conditional evaluation, or whose order or
format will change in the output record. You identify each field
by specifying a name, its position and size in the record, and
its data type.
You can also use /FIELD to define a constant and assign it a
value of any valid sort/merge data-type for use in /KEY, /DATA,
and /CONDITION statements.
Formats
/FIELD=(NAME=field-name,POSITION:n,)
SIZE:n,[DIGITS:n,]data-type
/FIELD=(NAME=field-name,VALUE:n,)
SIZE:n,[DIGITS:n,]data-type
14.7.1 – Qualifier Values
NAME=field-name
Specifies the name of the field. The field-name cannot have any
embedded spaces, must begin with an alphabetic character, and can
be no longer than 31 characters.
POSITION:n
Specifies the position of the field in the record.
VALUE:n
Assigns a value to a constant field for use in a /KEY, /DATA,
or /CONDITION statement. If you specify VALUE:n, do not specify
/POSITION:n, because the field is a constant and not part of an
input record.
SIZE:n
Specifies the size of a field containing character or binary
data. In the specification file, SIZE implies byte lengths. The
data type determines what values are acceptable, as well as the
units in which the size is specified:
o For character data, the size must not exceed 32,767
(characters).
o For binary data, the size specified must be 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16
(bytes).
High-performance Sort/Merge: The high-performance Sort/Merge
utility currently supports only 1, 2, 4, and 8-byte binary
keys.
o For floating-point data, no size is specified.
DIGITS:n
Specifies the size of a field containing decimal data. The size
of a field containing decimal data is specified in digits. The
size must not exceed 31 digits. Note that DIGITS:n is used only
when describing a field containing decimal data.
data-type
Specifies the data type of the field. You are not required to
specify the data-type if it is character; Sort assumes character
data type by default. The following data types are recognized by
OpenVMS Sort/Merge:
CHARACTER
BINARY[,SIGNED]
BINARY,UNSIGNED
D_FLOATING
DECIMAL,LEADING_SIGN,[OVERPUNCHED_SIGN,SIGNED]
DECIMAL,LEADING_SIGN,SEPARATE_SIGN[,SIGNED]
DECIMAL[,SIGNED,TRAILING_SIGN,OVERPUNCHED_SIGN]
DECIMAL,[TRAILING_SIGN],SEPARATE_SIGN[,SIGNED]
DECIMAL,UNSIGNED
F_FLOATING
G_FLOATING
H_FLOATING
PACKED_DECIMAL
S_FLOATING, IEEE (Alpha and I64 systems only)
T_FLOATING, IEEE (Alpha and I64 systems only)
PACKED_DECIMAL
ZONED
14.7.2 – Full Description
Use the /FIELD qualifier to define input record fields to be used
for a sort or merge operation or in a conditional evaluation, or
whose order or format will change in the output record.
Identify each field by specifying a name in the /FIELD qualifier,
a constant value or the field position, and the size and data
type of the field. Field names must be unique; no duplicate
field names are allowed. You cannot use more than 255 key field
definitions.
Once the field-name has been specified in the /FIELD qualifier,
it can be used in the /CONDITION, /KEY, and /DATA qualifiers.
14.7.3 – Example
/FIELD=(NAME=SALARY,POSITION:10,DIGITS:8,DECIMAL)
This /FIELD qualifier identifies a field in a record by the
name SALARY, specifies that it starts in position 10 of the
record, is 8 digits long, and consists of decimal data.
14.8 /INCLUDE
Specification File Qualifier
Specifies record selection as well as multiple record formats.
Formats
/INCLUDE=(CONDITION=condition-name)
[,KEY=...][,DATA=...]
14.8.1 – Qualifier Values
CONDITION=condition-name
Refers to the condition-name specified in a previous /CONDITION
qualifier.
KEY=...
Defines a key field because the default record type defined in
the /KEY qualifier is not being used.
DATA=...
Defines a data field because the default record type defined in
the /DATA qualifier is not being used.
14.8.2 – Full Description
You can specify that records are to be conditionally included
in an output file. After defining a condition in a /CONDITION
qualifier, specify record selection in an /INCLUDE qualifier
requesting that records satisfying the condition are to be
included in the output file.
You can specify multiple /INCLUDE and /OMIT qualifiers in
a specification file. The order in which you specify them
determines the order the input records are tested for inclusion.
After the last /INCLUDE qualifier, all records that have not
already been included or explicitly omitted are omitted.
You can unconditionally include any records not previously
omitted or included by specifying /INCLUDE without a condition.
When sorting multiple record formats, one /INCLUDE qualifier
should be specified for each different record format among the
records to be sorted. If you do not specify a KEY option within
the INCLUDE qualifier, Sort assumes the default key definitions.
If the KEY is specified in the /INCLUDE qualifier, the default
key definitions are not used. The order of the KEY fields in the
/INCLUDE qualifier determines how the internal key is built for
sorting. The order of the DATA fields in the /INCLUDE qualifier
determines the way the output record is formatted. If you specify
a key or data field in an /INCLUDE qualifier, you must define all
other key or data fields in the record.
14.8.3 – Example
/FIELD=(NAME=ZIP,POSITION:20,SIZE:6)
/CONDITION=(NAME=LOCATION,
TEST=(ZIP EQ "01863"))
/INCLUDE=(CONDITION=LOCATION)
These /CONDITION and /INCLUDE qualifiers specify that records
with the zip code 01863 will be included in the output file.
14.9 /KEY
Specification File Qualifier
Identifies key field names, specifies sorting order, and changes
the order of records in the output file.
Formats
/KEY=field-name
/KEY=(field-name,order)
/KEY=([IF condition-name THEN value ELSE]...value [,order])
14.9.1 – Qualifier Values
field-name
Specifies the name of the key field. The field-name has been
previously specified in a /FIELD qualifier.
order
Specifies the order of the sort. The ASCENDING option specifies
ascending order for a sort or merge operation. This option is the
default. The DESCENDING option specifies descending order for a
sort or merge operation.
value
Specifies the key. The value can be a constant or a field-name
that has been defined in a /FIELD qualifier.
14.9.2 – Full Description
If you are sorting on the entire record using character data, you
do not need to specify your key field. Otherwise, specify a /KEY
qualifier for each of the keys, in the order of their priority.
You can sort on as many as 255 key fields.
There are three ways to use the /KEY qualifier:
o To identify the key field name.
o To identify the key field name and to specify sorting order.
In this case, enclose the field name and the order option in
parentheses.
o As a conditional qualifier, to change the order of records
in the output file. First, specify a condition name in a
/CONDITION qualifier, and set up a test for what meets
that condition. Then, specify the relative order in a /KEY
qualifier of the form:
/KEY=(IF condition-name THEN value ELSE value)
You can use any values to specify the relative order of the
records.
14.9.3 – Examples
1./FIELD=(NAME=SALARY,POSITION:10,DIGITS:8,DECIMAL)
/KEY=(SALARY,DESCENDING)
This /KEY qualifier specifies that the key field is SALARY and
that the sorting order is descending.
2./FIELD=(NAME=ZIP,POSITION:20,SIZE:6)
/CONDITION=(NAME=LOCATION,
TEST=(ZIP EQ "01863"))
/KEY=(IF LOCATION THEN 1
ELSE 2)
In this example, all the records with the zip code 01863 are
to appear at the beginning of the sorted output file. The
conditional test LOCATION (defined in a /CONDITION qualifier)
is on the ZIP field (named in a /FIELD clause). The values of
1 and 2 in this /KEY clause signify a relative order for those
records that satisfy the condition and those that do not.
14.10 /OMIT
Specifies that records are to be omitted from the output file
based on a condition defined with a /CONDITION qualifier.
Format
/OMIT=(CONDITION=condition-name)
14.10.1 – Qualifier Value
CONDITION=condition-name
Refers to the condition-name previously specified in a /CONDITION
qualifier.
14.10.2 – Full Description
You can specify that records are to be omitted from the output
file by using the /OMIT qualifier. First, you must define a
condition with the /CONDITION qualifier. Specify your record
selection with an /OMIT qualifier requesting the records
satisfying that condition be selected for omission from your
sort. By default, Sort/Merge includes all the other input records
in the output file.
You can specify multiple /OMIT and /INCLUDE qualifiers in your
specification file. The order you specify them determines the
order the input records are tested for omission. All the records
that have not already been included or omitted after the last
/OMIT qualifier are included. You can unconditionally omit any
records not previously omitted or included by specifying the
/OMIT qualifier only.
14.10.3 – Example
/FIELD=(NAME=ZIP,POSITION:20,SIZE:6)
/CONDITION=(NAME=LOCATION,
TEST=(ZIP EQ "01863"))
/OMIT=(CONDITION=LOCATION)
These /CONDITION and /OMIT qualifiers specify that records with
the zip code 01863 are to be omitted from your output file.
14.11 /PAD
Allows you to specify a pad character to use when reformatting
records or when comparing strings of unequal length.
Format
/PAD=single-character
14.11.1 – Qualifier Value
single-character
Specifies the character that the Sort utiltiy will use to pad a
string. Characters, decimal, octal, or hexadecimal digits can be
used. The pad character should be specified as follows:
o Use quotation marks for a character. For example, " # " would
specify the number sign.
o Use decimal radix for decimal digits. For example, %D35 would
specify the decimal number 35.
o Use octal radix for octal digits. For example, %O043 would
specify the octal number 043.
o Use hexadecimal radix for hexadecimal digits. For example,
%X23 would specify the hexadecimal number 23.
14.11.2 – Full Description
Use the /PAD qualifier to specify a pad character when comparing
strings of unequal length or when reformatting records. By
default, Sort uses the null character for padding, ensuring
conformity with the previous versions. Double characters that
can be defined as single characters ("ch" > "c") cannot be used
as pad characters.
14.11.3 – Example
/PAD="."
This example of a /PAD qualifier specifies that records will be
padded with periods.
14.12 /PROCESS
Defines the processing method (record, tag, address, or index)
for the sorting operation. Use only with the SORT command.
Format
/PROCESS=type
14.12.1 – Qualifier Values
RECORD
Specifies the record sort. This sort process is the default.
TAG
Specifies the tag sort.
ADDRESS
Specifies the address sort.
INDEX
Specifies the index sort.
14.12.2 – Full Description
By default, Sort uses a record sorting process. You can also
specify a tag, address, or index sorting process. If you intend
to reformat the output records, you cannot use address or index
sort. For a comparison of the four processes, see the description
of /PROCESS in the Command Qualifiers Section. Use the /PROCESS
qualifier with the SORT command only.
14.12.3 – Example
/PROCESS=tag
This example of the /PROCESS qualifier specifies that Sort use
a tag sorting process.
14.13 /STABLE
Specifies that records with equal keys are directed to the
output file in their input file order. The default condition
is /NOSTABLE.
Formats
/STABLE
/NOSTABLE
14.13.1 – Full Description
By default, when records are sorted with identical keys, the
order of those records in the output file may not be the same as
they appeared in the input file. Specifying the /STABLE qualifier
in a specification file arranges records with equal keys in the
output file in the order of the input files as specified in the
command line. If you use this qualifier when sorting multiple
input files, on output, records with equal keys in the first file
will precede those from the second file and so on.
14.13.2 – Example
/STABLE
This example of the /STABLE qualifier ensures that records with
equal keys will have the same order in the input and output
files.
14.14 /WORK_FILES
Reassigns work files to different disk-structured devices to
improve performance. Use only with the SORT command.
Format
/WORK_FILES=(device[,...])
14.14.1 – Qualifier Value
device
Specifies a logical name for the work file. Unlike the DCL
qualifier /WORK_FILES=n, the specification file qualifier /WORK_
FILES=(device[,...]) specifies work file assignments, not the
number of work files.
14.14.2 – Full Description
You can improve the performance of Sort by placing work files
on different disk-structured devices. Using the /WORK_FILES
qualifier in a specification file to reassign work files makes
it unnecessary to make logical assignments prior to invoking Sort
at the command or program level.
14.14.3 – Example
/WORK_FILES=("WRKD$:")
This example of a /WORK_FILES qualifier assigns one of Sort's
work files to the device WRKD$: because that device has the
most space available.