DFSORT OUTREC Justifying Data

The OUTREC statement with allows us to justify data fields within records using JFY (Justify) keywords. We can justify the data to the left, right, or center within a specified field length. This is useful for aligning text or numbers in a specific way for reports or other output requirements.

Syntax1 - Justify with LEAD and TRAIL.

//SYSIN    DD *
  SORT FIELDS=COPY
  OUTREC FIELDS=(...,
         starting_pos_of_field1,
         length_of_field1,
		 JFY=(SHIFT=LEFT|RIGHT,
		   LEAD=charset,
		   TRAIL=charset),...)
/*

Syntax2 - Justify with PREBLANK.

//SYSIN    DD *
  SORT FIELDS=COPY
  OUTREC FIELDS=(...,
         starting_pos_of_field1,
         length_of_field1,
		 JFY=(SHIFT=LEFT|RIGHT,
		   PREBLANK=charset),...)
/*

Syntax3 - Justify with LEAD, TRAIL, PREBLANK.

//SYSIN    DD *
  SORT FIELDS=COPY
  OUTREC FIELDS=(...,
         starting_pos_of_field1,
         length_of_field1,
		 JFY=(SHIFT=LEFT|RIGHT,
		   PREBLANK=charset,
		   LEAD=charset,
		   TRAIL=charset),...)
/*

starting_pos_of_field1	Specifies field1 starting position in the input file.
length_of_field1	Specifies field1 length in input file.
SHIFT	Specifies the justification SHIFT=LEFT specifies the data should be left justified SHIFT=RIGHT specifies the data should be right justified
LEAD=charset	Specifies the leading characters added to data
TRAIL=Charset	Specifies the trailing characters added to data
PREBLANK=charset	Specifies the characters that replaced or blank out as leading and trailing to data

Examples -

Scenario1 - Left-Justifying Data (Default Behavior).

//SYSIN    DD *
     OPTION COPY
     OUTREC FIELDS=(1,29,JFY=(SHIFT=LEFT,PREBLANK=C'()',
                    LEAD=C'<',TRAIL=C'>'),30,30)
/*

Left-justifies a 30-byte character field starting from position 1 in the input, and places the result in the output. This aligns the data to the left within the specified field length.

Scenario2 - Right-Justifying Data.

//SYSIN    DD *
     OPTION COPY
     OUTREC FIELDS=(1,29,JFY=(SHIFT=RIGHT,PREBLANK=C'()',
                    LEAD=C'<',TRAIL=C'>'),30,30)
/*

Right-justifies a 30-byte character field starting from position 1 in the input, and places the result in the output. This aligns the data to the right within the specified field length.

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