CSV and XML File Production › Creating CSV Files Using the Report Writer

Creating CSV Files Using the Report Writer

With CA JARS it is possible to create CSV files directly from the Report Writer for availability to desktop applications. Creating a CSV file from an existing report is as easy as adding a CSV member name to the SORT control statement and adding the CAIJSCSV and CAIJSIDX DD statements to the execution JCL. The only restriction on CSV file creation from existing or newly created reports is the number of DESCRIPT control statement summarization levels, which is fixed at two. If more than two levels of DESCRIPT processing are encountered, an error message is issued and CSV processing is terminated. In this rare instance you should change the report to conform to the DESCRIPT control statement restriction. This will happen only on rare occasions. Of the forty plus working set report examples supplied with this product, only one report has more DESCRIPT summarization levels than the supported number.

The production of CSV files from the Report Writer occurs during the output phase while generating user-defined reports. User defined reports are instructed to create CSV output files by placing a CSV member name in columns 65-72 of the SORT control statement for the particular user defined report being generated. This causes a CSV member to be created in the PDS defined by the CAIJSCSV DD statement contained in the execution JCL. An entry is made in the file defined by the CAIJSIDX DD statement. The CSV index file contains pointers to where CSV members exist. The program that creates the CSV members and updates the CSV index file is called after the EXIT 3 point in processing. This allows any users who have implemented an EXIT 3 to modify the print line information before it is seen by the CSV program. Up to 15 CSV files can be produced as output from a single execution of CA JARS.

The first step in creating CSV files from the Report Writer is to identify existing reports that are candidates for CSV file production, or to define requirements for the content of specific CSV files that the user wants to see on the desktop. If you are creating a new report with the intent of producing a CSV output file, we recommend that you first get the report to produce the desired output, and then add the CSV member name to the SORT control statement.