View a PDF version of SORTTRCK (209KB)

List of tricks

• Introduction: Details of functions used in tricks
• Introduction: PTF level of functions needed for tricks
• Update count and total in existing trailer
• Create large records from small records
• Create small records from large records
• Convert between different types of dates
• Identify invalid dates
• Extract corresponding weekdays from dates
• Add/subtract days, months, years for date fields
• Calculate days between two date fields
• Use SET and PROC symbols in control statements
• Limit included OUTFIL records
• Change ASCII to EBCDIC or EBCDIC to ASCII
• Join fields from two files on a key
• Join fields from two files record-by-record
• Cartesian join
• Create files with matching and non-matching records
• Sort detail records between headers and trailers
• Add comma at end of all records except the last
• Keep or remove the first and/or last records
• Keep or remove specific relative records
• Replace or remove strings anywhere in a file
• Change all zeros in your records to spaces
• Display the number of input or output records
• Select n values for each key
• Include or omit groups of records
• Sort groups of records
• Find dataset profiles with no access list
• Find resource profiles with no access list
• Report on GDG base limits
• Copy GDGs created today
• Copy GDG records in first in, first out order
• Join records on a key with missing fields
• Keep dropped duplicate records (XSUM)
• Split a file to n output files dynamically
• Five ways to split a data set
• Set RC of 12, 8 or 4 if file is empty, has more than n records, etc
• Find and extract values from different positions
• Sum a number with a decimal point
• Check for a numeric string
• VB to FB conversion
• FB to VB conversion
• Extract and justify delimited fields
• Squeeze out blanks or other characters
• Add leading and trailing apostrophes
• Deconstruct and reconstruct CSV records
• Only include records with today's date
• Include records using relative dates
• Fields from different record types
• Change a C sign to an F sign in PD values
• Display SMF, TOD and ETOD date and time in readable form
• Delete all members of a PDS
• Create DFSORT Symbols from COBOL Copybook
• Sample records
• Insert date and time of run into records
• Change uppercase to lowercase or lowercase to uppercase
• RACF "SPECIAL" report with and without DFSORT symbols
• Multiple output records from some (but not all) input records
• Replace leading spaces with zeros
• Generate JCL to submit to the internal reader
• Totals by key and grand totals
• Omit data set names with Axxx. as the high level qualifier
• Dataset counts and space by high level qualifier
• Delete duplicate SMF records
• Sort ddmonyy dates
• Turn cache on for all volumes
• C/C++ calls to DFSORT and ICETOOL
• REXX calls to DFSORT and ICETOOL
• Concurrent VSAM/non-VSAM load
• DCOLLECT conversion reports