System and method for computer file tailoring

• US 20030084070A1
• Filed: 10/18/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kliewe, John
• Granted Patent: US 6,941,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/00 Arrangements for software engineering testing or debugging G06F11/36; administrative, planning or organisation aspects of software project management G06Q10/06

Abstract

An enhancement and preprocessor to native file tailoring functions such as ISPF'"'"'s File Tailor utilities. A set of control parameters and input data is processed according to specified options to prepare one or more tables of data compatible with the native file tailoring functions, and the native file tailoring functions are called one or more times to achieve the desired tailored files. Use of the invention obviates the need for custom programming or manual file editing to format source data into one or more tables which are compatible with the input requirements of the native file tailoring functions.

Claims

1. A method for preparing data for file tailoring in a computing system having native file tailoring functions, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a set of data preparation control parameters;

building a set of empty tables based upon said control parameters;

processing a set of source data to load said empty tables according to said control parameters; and

invoking said native file tailoring functions on said loaded tables to obtain a desired set of tailored files.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of processing a set of source data comprises processing a set of tables using a REXX executable program.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of receiving a set of data preparation control parameters comprises receiving a parameter selected from the group of a set of keys, a skeleton file pointer, a “

stats”

parameter, a “

skip”

parameter, a “

parsenum”

, a “

xlat”

parameter, a “

margin”

parameter, a “

trunc”

parameter, an “

empty”

, and a “

sort”

parameter.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of invoking native file tailoring functions comprises the step of invoking an ISPF file tailoring service.

5. A computer readable medium encoded with software for preparing data for file tailoring in a computing system, said computer system having native file tailoring functions, said software causing said computer to perform the steps of:

receiving a set of data preparation control parameters;

building a set of empty tables based upon said control parameters;

processing a set of source data to load said empty tables according to said control parameters; and

invoking said native file tailoring functions on said loaded tables to obtain a desired set of tailored files.

6. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 5 wherein said software for processing a set of source data comprises software for processing a set of tables using a REXX executable program.

7. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 5 wherein said software for receiving a set of data preparation control parameters comprises software for receiving a parameter selected from the group of a set of keys, a skeleton file pointer, a “

stats”

parameter, a “

skip”

parameter, a “

parsenum”

, a “

fxlat”

parameter, a “

margin”

parameter, a “

trunc”

parameter, an “

empty”

, and a “

sort”

parameter.

8. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 5 wherein said software for invoking native file tailoring functions comprises software for invoking an ISPF file tailoring service.

9. A system for preparing data for file tailoring by a computer system having a native file tailoring service, said system comprising:

a control script for invoking a preparing function, said control script providing a set of data preparation control parameters so said preparing function;

a preparing function adapted to receive said control parameters, to build a set of empty tables based upon said control parameters, to process a set of source data to load said empty tables according to said control parameters, and to invoke said native file tailoring functions on said loaded tables to obtain a desired set of tailored files.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said preparing function is a REXX executable script.

11. The system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said control script is a Job Control Language (JCL) script.

12. The system as set forth in claim 9 wherein both the control script and the preparing function are adapted to run within an ISPF environment.

13. The system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said preparing function is adapted to receiving a preparation control parameter selected from the group of a set of keys, a skeleton file pointer, a “

stats”

parameter, a “

skip”

parameter, a “

parsenum”

, a “

xlat”

parameter, a “

margin”

parameter, a “

trunc”

parameter, an “

empty”

, and a “

sort”

parameter.

14. The system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said preparing function is adapted to invoking native ISPF file tailoring services.