Create a format

You can only create formats by using a detailed specification file.

Use the syntax shown in Specification-file conventions to create a format by using a detailed specification file.

Use the following syntax to create a fixed-format object from a specification file:

BEGIN OBJECT FIXEDFORMAT formatname 

# Compulsory Attributes 
PROJECT projectname 
CHARACTERSET data_codeset 
MACHINE machine_type 
BEGIN SEQUENCE 
FIELDNAME fieldname 
DATATYPE datatype 
BYTES field_bytes 
DECIMALS decimal_places 
OFFSET offset_bytes 
END SEQUENCE 

END OBJECT

The following table lists the attributes and their values.

Attribute	Attribute value
data_codeset	Code set used to translate data in the data table For more information about data code sets, see the following file on your product CD: $INFORMIXDIR/gls/cm3/registry
datatype	Type of field data See Data types allowed in a fixed format.
decimal_places	Number of decimal places for Float and Double data types
field_bytes	Number of bytes that the field occupies in the record
fieldname	Field name in the format
formatname	Format name
machine_type	Type of computer that produced the data, such as a SPARCstation See List all existing machine types.
offset_bytes	Number of bytes of the field offset in the record
projectname	Name of existing project

Use the following syntax to create a COBOL-format object from a specification file:

BEGIN OBJECT COBOLFORMAT formatname 

# Compulsory Attributes 
PROJECT projectname 
CHARACTERSET data_codeset 
MACHINE machine_type 
DRIVER driver_type 
BEGIN SEQUENCE 
FIELDNAME fieldname 
PICTURE picture_description 
USAGE usage_description 
END SEQUENCE 

END OBJECT

The following table lists the attributes and their values.

Attribute	Attribute value
data_codeset	Code set used to translate data in the data table For more information about data code sets, see the following file on your product CD: $INFORMIXDIR/gls/cm3/registry
driver_type	Type of driver: COBOL (default) or COBOL_b
fieldname	Field name in the format
formatname	Format name
machine_type	Type of computer that produced the data, such as a SPARCstation
picture_description	Picture description that matches the record FD from the COBOL program See Picture strings.
projectname	Name of existing project
usage_description	Number of bytes that the field occupies in the record

Use the following syntax to create a delimited-format object:

BEGIN OBJECT DELIMITEDFORMAT formatname 

# Compulsory Attributes 
PROJECT projectname 
CHARACTERSET data_codeset 
RECORDSTART recordstart_delimit_character 
RECORDEND recordend_delimit_character 
FIELDSTART fieldstart_delimit_character 
FIELDEND fieldend_delimit_character 
FIELDSEPARATOR fieldseparator_delimit_character 
BEGIN SEQUENCE 
FIELDNAME format_fieldname 
FIELDTYPE field_datatype 
END SEQUENCE 

END OBJECT

The following table lists the attributes and their values.

Attribute	Attribute value
data_codeset	Code set used to translate data in the data table For more information about data code sets, see the following file on your product CD: $INFORMIXDIR/gls/cm3/registry
field_datatype	Type of field data See Data types allowed in a delimited format.
fieldend_delimit_character	Delimiting character that specifies the end of the field, in hexadecimal or decimal format Begin a hexadecimal character with `0x`.
fieldstart_delimit_character	Delimiting character that specifies the start of the field, in hexadecimal or decimal format Begin a hexadecimal character with `0x`.
fieldseparator_delimit_character	Delimiting character that specifies the field separator, in hexadecimal or decimal format Begin a hexadecimal character with `0x`.
format_fieldname	Format field name
formatname	Format name
recordend_delimit_character	Delimiting character that specifies the end of the record, in hexadecimal or decimal format Begin a hexadecimal character with `0x`.
recordstart_delimit_character	Delimiting character that specifies the start of the record, in hexadecimal or decimal format Begin a hexadecimal character with `0x`.
projectname	Name of existing project