Copy files: supported functions

iSeries™ provides many copy functions for database files and copy functions for device files. Each function has associated parameters and files types.

The following tables, (Table 1 and Table 2), provide a summary of the specific copy functions (using the copy commands) you can use for copying records by the types of files being copied from and to. The functions with their associated parameters are listed down the left side, and the file types (and if each can be a from-file and a to-file) are shown across the top. An X indicates that the associated parameter is valid for the type and use of file under which it occurs.

Table 1. Summary of Copy Functions for database files
Copy function	Parameter	Database files¹
		Physical		Logical
		From	To	From	To
Select files	FROMFILE²	X		X
Select files	TOFILE		X
Select members	FROMMBR	X		X
Select members	TOMBR		X
Add to, replace, or update existing records	MBROPT		X
Create the to-file	CRTFILE³	X	X	X
Print copied, excluded, and error records	PRINT⁴	X	X	X
Select by record format	RCDFMT			X
Select by relative record number	FROMRCD	X		X⁵
Select by relative record number	TORCD	X		X⁵
Select by key field value	FROMKEY	X		X
Select by key field value	TOKEY	X		X
Specify number of records to copy	NBRRCDS	X		X
Select by character content	INCCHAR	X		X
Select by field value	INCREL	X		X
Process different database record formats	FMTOPT	X	X	X
Update sequence number and date	SRCOPT	X	X	X
Specify start value and increment	SRCSEQ	X	X	X
Print character and hex format	OUTFMT⁴	X	X	X
Maximum recoverable errors allowed	ERRLVL	X	X	X
Disregard or include deleted records	COMPRESS⁶	X	X
Note: ¹ DDM files will appear to act like database files, with exceptions noted in the Distributed Data Management book. ² On the CPYFRMQRYF command, the FROMOPNID parameter is used to identify an open identifier for the open query file to be copied from. The FROMFILE parameter is used in all other copy commands. ³ If the to-file does not exist before the copy operation and the from-file is a physical or logical file, the copy operation will create a physical file as the to-file if you specified CRTFILE(YES) on the copy commands. ⁴ You can specify a program-described printer file so that the copy will produce a list with no special formatting or page headings, or you can specify TOFILE(PRINT) to produce a formatted list. You can specify PRINT(COPIED) to produce a formatted list of the copied records, you can specify PRINT(EXCLD) to produce a formatted list of the records excluded by the INCCHAR or INCREL parameters, and you can specify PRINT(ERROR) to produce a formatted list of records causing ERRLVL errors. When you request a list by specifying the TOFILE(PRINT) parameter, the OUTFMT parameter specifies whether the data is printed in character or in both character and hexadecimal form. ⁵ You can specify the FROMRCD and TORCD parameter values for a logical file if it has an arrival sequence access path. ⁶ You cannot specify COMPRESS(NO) if: The to-file member or a logical file member based on the to-file member has a keyed access path with any of the following attributes: Unique keys (UNIQUE keyword specified in the DDS) Floating-point key field or logical numeric key field and not MAINT(REBLD) Select/omit specifications in the DDS (without the DYNSLT keyword specified) and not MAINT(*REBLD) Field-level mapping or source/data conversion is required (FMTOPT parameter). An EOFDLY wait time is specified for the from-file on an Override Database File (OVRDBF) command. Note: To copy deleted records, the from-file must be processed in arrival sequence.

Table 2. Summary of Copy functions for device files
Copy function	Parameter	Device Files
		Inline data		Diskette		Tape		Printer
		From	To	From	To	From	To	From	To
Select files	FROMFILE	X		X		X
Select files	TOFILE				X		X		X
Select members	FROMMBR			X		X
Select members	TOMBR				X		X
Add to or replace existing records	MBROPT
Create the to-file	CRTFILE
Print copied or excluded records	PRINT²	X		X	X	X	X		X
Select by record format	RCDFMT
Select by relative record number	FROMRCD	X		X		X
Select by relative record number	TORCD	X		X		X
Select by key field value	FROMKEY
Select by key field value	TOKEY
Specify number of records to copy	NBRRCDS	X		X		X
Select by character content	INCCHAR	X		X		X
Select by field value	INCREL
Process different database record formats	FMTOPT
Update sequence number or date	SRCOPT
Specify start value and increment	SRCSEQ
Print character or hex format	OUTFMT²	X		X	X	X	X		X
Maximum recoverable errors allowed	ERRLVL					X
Disregard or include deleted records	COMPRESS
Notes: ¹ You can specify a program-described printer file so that the copy will produce a list with no special formatting or page headings, or you can specify TOFILE(PRINT) to produce a formatted list. You can specify PRINT(COPIED) to produce a formatted list of the copied records, you can specify PRINT(EXCLD) to produce a formatted list of the records excluded by the INCCHAR or INCREL parameter, and you can specify PRINT(ERROR) to produce a formatted list of records causing ERRLVL errors. When you request a list by specifying the TOFILE(*PRINT) parameter, the OUTFMT parameter specifies whether the data is printed in character or in both character and hexadecimal form.