HP RPG/iX Utilities Reference Manual (30318-90006)

A- 100
Comparison with $DSORT and #GSORT
This section compares XSORT with IBM System/3 $DSORT and IBM System 32 and 34 #GSORT.
XSORT provides:
• Support to handle multiple input files up to 9.
• A "Count-only" pass (SORTC) capability.
• An additional specification record called S Option, identified by an S entry in column 6, which provides
additional global controls including:
• Address-out file first record number.
• Inplace sort override.
• Maximum number of records to be sorted.
XSORT does not provide:
• Support for data types "Z" (zone) and "D" (digit) for independent use of EBCDIC zones and digits.
XSORT supports data type "C" (complete ASCII character).
• Summary Sort capability.
• The IBM #GSORT reserved "keywords" UDATE, UMONTH, UDAY, and UYEAR.
• The "workfile data verification" feature as controlled by IBM $DSORT and #GSORT through Header
Column 34.
• "Null Output Message" option as controlled by IBM #GSORT Header Column 36.
• A96columnspecificationform.XSORT'sspecificationformis80columns. Users of $DSORT or #GSORT
using Alternate Collating Sequences of more than 80 columns will have to adapt them to the 80-column
format when converting to XSORT.
Output XSORTOUT SORT3OUT No action necessary.
(Note, however, that the first input file, "...IN" or
"...IN1," is what determines whether XSORT or
SORT3 names will be expected for rest of the
input/output files. No mixing of formal file names
is allowed among the input and output files within
any sort job.)
File XSORT NAMES SORT3 NAMES CONVERSION ACTIONS