Use source files in a program

You can process a source file in your program. You can use the external definition of the source file and do any input/output operations for that file, just as you would for any other database file.

Source files are externally described database files. As such, when you name a source file in your program and compile it, the source file description is automatically included in your program printout. For example, assume you wanted to read and update records for a member called FILEA in the source file QDDSSRC. When you write the program to process this file, the system will include the SRCSEQ, SRCDAT, and SRCDTA fields from the source file.
Note: You can display the fields defined in a file by using the Display File Field Description command (DSPFFD).
The program processing the FILEA member of the QDDSSRC file can:
Related concepts
Display the descriptions of the fields in a file