DFSORT OUTREC Squeezing Data

The OUTREC statement with the SQZ (squeeze) function is used to remove leading, trailing, or embedded blanks (spaces) from data fields, or to replace multiple consecutive blanks with a single blank. This is useful when we want to squeeze data by eliminating unnecessary spaces.

Syntax1 - Justify with LEAD and TRAIL.

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

Syntax2 - Justify with PREBLANK, PAIR and MID.

//SYSIN    DD *
  SORT FIELDS=COPY
  OUTREC FIELDS=(...,
         starting_pos_of_field1,
         length_of_field1,
		 SQZ=(SHIFT=LEFT|RIGHT,
		   PAIR=QUOTE,
		   PREBLANK=charset,
		   MID=String),...)
/*

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
MID=String	specifies the string to replace removed blanks or PREBLANK characters as a character.
PAIR=QUOTE	used to "ignore" blanks and PREBLANK characters between pairs of quotes

Examples -

Scenario1 - Removing leading blanks and shifting left.

//SYSIN   DD  *
  SORT FIELDS=COPY
  OUTREC FIELDS=(1,10,11:11,20,SQZ=(SHIFT=LEFT))
/*

Removes leading blanks from the 20-byte field starting at position 11 and shifts the data to the left.

Scenario2 - Removing trailing blanks and shifting right.

//SYSIN   DD  *
  SORT FIELDS=COPY
  OUTREC FIELDS=(1,10,11:11,20,SQZ=(SHIFT=RIGHT))
/*

Removes trailing blanks from the 20-byte field starting at position 11 and shifts the data to the right.

Scenario3 - Squeezing multiple spaces in the middle.

//SYSIN   DD  *
  SORT FIELDS=COPY
  OUTREC FIELDS=(1,10,11:11,20,SQZ=(SHIFT=LEFT,MIDDLE=(X'40')))
/*

Removes leading blanks from the 20-byte field starting at position 11, shifts the data to the left, and replaces multiple consecutive blanks between words with a single blank (hexadecimal X'40').

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