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Micro Focus Visual COBOL 2.3 Update 2 for Visual Studio 2015 > Welcome > Getting Started > Native COBOL Tutorials > Tutorial: Classic Data File Tools

Tutorial: Classic Data File Tools

Shows you how to convert a data file to a variable length indexed sequential file, and then view it in various ways, formatted and unformatted, using Data File Editor.

You use the Classic Data File Tools to convert, browse, edit and create data files used by an application.

Using the Classic Data File Tools, you can examine data files to see how an application has updated them, or create and edit a file to provide test data for an application. Files can be in any COBOL format and you can view them at both the record and field levels. You can convert between formats and character sets.

Demonstration Application

The demonstration application used in this tutorial consists of a data file and the COBOL source program that maintains it. The data file is a variable length sequential file, containing details of staff in three record types: employee, manager and executive. In this session you convert it to a variable length indexed sequential file, and then view it in various ways, formatted and unformatted, using the Data File editor.

Order

Complete the tutorial in the following order:

  1. Copy and Build the Visual Studio Solution
  2. Convert a File
  3. View a Data File Unformatted
  4. Create a Record Layout File
  5. Create the Default Record Layout
  6. Create the Conditional Record Layouts
  7. Save the Record Layout File
  8. View a Data File Formatted
  9. Access Information about a Record Layout File
  10. View Files in Hexadecimal
  11. Print a Data File
  12. Edit Multiple Data Files
  13. Create a New Data File
  14. Convert a File's Character Set
  15. View the EBCDIC File
Parent topic: Native COBOL Tutorials
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