AS\400 Interview Questions

1. Define a shared access path?

To share the open data path by various programs in a same job.

2. What is the difference between array and a multiple occurrence data structure?

The values stored in array don¶t vary. In the other hand, we can store the
Different values in same variables at various stages.

3. What is *INZSR used for?

It is special type of RPG/400 subroutine, which is executed automatically
at beginning of the program. It is a good place to code initializes the variables.

4. How can you execute a command from within an RPG program without calling a CLP
program?
By calling QCMDEXC application program interface we can execute a CL command with
in an RPG program.

5. What is the purpose of the "N" in the following calculation specification?

C KEY CHAIN FILE N 99
If you specify 'N' in 53rd position, the record will not be locked if you try to
read the locked record. It is a way of avoiding the record lock.
6. Which of the following operations does NOT zero the field FLDA defined as 4,0?

C MOVE *ZEROS FLDA

C Z-ADD *ZEROS FLDA
C Z-ADD 0 FLDA
C MOVE *ALL'0' FLDA
C SUB FLDA FLDA
C MOVE '0000' FLDA
C CLEAR FLDA
C MOVE *BLANKS FLDA

The last instruction does NOT zero the field FLDA.

7. How can you check for a records existence without causing and I/O (CHAIN/READ)?

With the help of File Information Data Structure, we can check existence of

records in a physical file. The code is described below:

In File description continuation line (IPFK),

KINFDS RCDS

IRCDS DS

I *RECORD #RCDS
with the above code we can check the existence of records in a file without
causing I/O operation.
8. Define what a data area is along with a brief example of what it may be used
for?
Data area is a storage area to store limited information.
Example: a new and unique customer number is generated whenever a new customer i
added to customer master file. Data area keeps track of last record added and add
1 to it. Through program we can access new customer number.
9. Define what a data queue is along with a brief example of what it may be used
for?

Data queues provides communication between programs by calling API's QSNDDTAQ and QRCVDTAQ along with parameters
like data queue name, library in which data queue exists, variable to store the number of characters to be sent, variable to store
the information to be sent. We can send the same data queue to the many programs.

10. What is the purpose of the following?

I 'CLOSED' C STAT01
I 'OPEN' C STAT02
It is a type of initializing the variables in I-spec. and these are further used
in C-spec.

11. What is the difference between UDATE and the system date?
UDATE supports two-digit year. The format is *MDY (MMDDYY).

*DATE (system date) supports four digit year. The format is *MDYY (MMDDYYYY).

12. List some of the commonly used commands for debugging

STRDBG(for batch jobs), STRISDB.

13. Define the RCVF command?

RCVF command used to receive the records either from the data base file or device

file.

14. Define the purpose of the %SST function?

To extract the information from the specified string.
15. Define the purpose of the *CAT function?
To concatenate the two strings into a one string.
16. Define the purpose of the *BCAT function?

To concatenate the two strings by placing a single blank in a resultant.

17. Describe the difference between the DOWxx and DOUxx operations?

DOWxx : If the condition becomes true, then only the group of instructions allowed

executing.

DOUxx : Irrespective of condition, it will execute at least one time.

18. Define the purpose of the LEAVE operation?

If you specify LEAVE, the control transfers to the statement below the ENDDO.

19. Define the purpose of the ITER operation?

If you specify the ITER, the groups of statements are allowed to execute

repeatedly.

20. List the steps/commands necessary to accomplish the following:

a. Copy data from the file ORDHDR into file ORDHIST

b. The file ORDHIST may or may not exist

c. If the file ORDHDR does exist, it may or may not contain data
d. The file ORDHIST may or may not contain data, if the file does contain data the
old data should be erased

Commands: a. CPYF FILE(ORDHDR) TOFILE(ORDHIST)

b. CPYF FILE (ORDHDR) TOFILE (ORDHIST) CRTFILE (*YES)
c. CPYF FILE (ORDHDR) TOFILE (ORDHIST) *ADD
d. CPYF FILE (ORDHDR) TOFILE (ORDHIST) *REPLACE

21. What is the purpose of the following?

FORDHDR1 IF E K DISK
ORDHDRF KRENAMEORDHDRF1

In order to rename the record format of a data base file in a program,

we can use the above steps. Purpose of renaming is: If the record format name is
similar in two files and if both are used in a same program, the program will not
compile. Hence we have to rename either of the file.
22. What is the purpose of the following

C/COPY QRPGSRC,ORDERR

During the compilation the source code of ORDERR copy book is copied into the

existing program. Where as /COPY is compiler directive statement.

23. What is the purpose of the following

FORDHDR1 CF E WORKSTN

$2SFN SFILE FMT2

The above line indicates that, $2SFN is a relative record number and FMT2 is name

of the subfile record format.

24. What is the purpose of the following

I UDS

I 1 60ORDER#
I 7 90LINE#

The purpose is to define the variables in I-Spec and these are further used in C- spec. Where as µU¶ indicates data area data
structure? The above code is used to update the data area value through the program. The letter "U" indicates that the defined data
structure is a data area data structure.

25. What is the purpose of the following?

A CSRLOC (F1ROW F1COL)

Using this record level keyword, you can specify cursor location on an output
operation to the record format you are defining. The program sends output after
setting the cursor location.
26. What is the difference between SFLCLR and SFLINZ?
SFLCLR : It clears the subfile.
SFLINZ : First it clears the subfile and initiliazing the numeric variables with
zeros and alphanumeric variables with characters.

27. Define the purpose/use for SFLRNA?

Using this, we can make specified subfile record format inactive.

28. Define what the operation will do, the purpose of the result field and the
purpose of *IN66?
HI LO EQ
C CALL 'CVTDAT' DTPRM 66

The above statement causes, call the program and pass the parameter.
29. Define each of the following operation codes

a. READ To read the records sequentially.

b. READE To read the equal key records
c. READP To read the previous records
d. READC To read the records from the workstation file (Subfile).
e. REDEP To read the equal key previous records.

30. Define the purpose of the following code (If you know, how would this be
written in RPG ILE)
HI LO EQ
C *IN66 DOUEQ *OFF
C KEY1 CHAIN FILEA 90 66
C 66 CALL PGM1 PRM
C ENDDO

Whenever the indicator *IN66 becomes *OFF, the control transfers after ENDDO statement. Otherwise, it reads the records from
the data base file based on indicator specified on HI position. If the specified indicator on LO position becomes *OFF, then only
CALL statement will execute.

31. How do you set the keywords SFLSIZ and SFLPAG if you want the subfile to

dynamically expand?

SFLSIZ > SFLPAG.

32. When would you use or not use this approach?

SFLSIZ > SFLPAG.

32. When would you use or not use this approach?

It is the most desirable method in building a real time applications. We can use

at all the times.

33. How can you detect and handle a record lock situation?

If you try to read the locked record, we can get system defined message i. e. ,
the program will ended abnormally. With the help of File Information Data
Structure we can handle record lock situation. Generally it will happen, when the
same file of type " U" used in different programs.

34. How can you detect overflow for a print program that prints multiple lines per
cycle?

You specify the indicators OA through OG and OV in 33 - 34 columns in a printer file. This indicator automatically set on
whenever overflow occurs on a type of page.

35. How would you design the process for a nightly, high volume check producing
process that needs to select only records that are flagged to be processed