OPEN DATASET - linefeed

Syntax

... WITH { NATIVE
         | SMART
         | UNIX
         | WINDOWS } LINEFEED ... .

Alternatives:

1. ... WITH NATIVE LINEFEED

2. ... WITH SMART LINEFEED

3. ... WITH UNIX LINEFEED

4. ... WITH WINDOWS LINEFEED

Effect

: These additions determine which line end marker is used for text files or legacy text files. If these additions are used, the profile parameter abap/NTfmode is ignored. Simultaneous specification of the values "UNIX" or "NT" in the addition TYPE is not permitted.

If these additions are not used, the line end marker is determined as follows, depending on the operating system of the current application server:

• The line end marker for Unix is "LF". Under Unix, OS390 and OS400, only "LF" is used for reading and writing.
  
  
• The line end marker for MS Windows is "CRLF". Under MS Windows, however, the values of the profile parameter abap/NTfmode can also be used to set whether new files are handled according to Unix conventions or Windows conventions. If the profile parameter has the value "b", the Unix line end marker "LF" is used. If the profile parameter has the value "t" or is initial, the Windows line end marker "CRLF" is used. The setting using the profile parameter can be overridden with the addition TYPE and the value "UNIX" or "NT". If an existing file is opened without the addition TYPE, this is searched for the first line end marker ("LF" or "CRLF"), and this is used for the whole file. If no line end marker is found, the profile parameter is used. This applies particularly if an existing file is completely overwritten with FOR OUTPUT.
  
  
  

If an addition WITH NATIVE|SMART|UNIX|WINDOWS LINEFEED is used, this setting can be changed for the open file using the statement SET DATASET. If neither of the additions is used, the line end marker also cannot be changed using SET DATASET.

Notes

• : Without the use of an addition WITH LINEFEED, the line end marker is dependent on diverse implicit factors such as the operating system of the application server, a profile parameter, and line end markings that are already used. For this reason, the explicit use of WITH LINEFEED is recommended, which renders the use of the addition TYPE for setting the line end marker obsolete.
  
• The line end marker that is currently used can be determined for every open file using GET DATASET.
  
  
  

Alternative 1

... WITH NATIVE LINEFEED

Effect

: This addition defines the line end marker independently of the access type according to the operating system of the application server, i.e. "LF" for Unix OS390 or OS400, and "CRLF" for MS Windows.

The line end marker is interpreted according to the current codepage. If a code page is explicitly specified using the addition CODE PAGE, the characters of the line end marker must exist be available or be written in accordance with this code page.

Note

: The addition WITH NATIVE LINEFEED is intended for editing files on an application server that can also be accessed by other means. The addition receives the appropriate line end marker without the program needing to know the operating system.

Alternative 2

... WITH SMART LINEFEED

Effect

: This addition depends on the access type:

• In files that are opened for reading using FOR INPUT, both "LF" and "CRLF are interpreted as a line end marker. When opening an EBCDIC file with the addition CODEPAGE, in addition to "LF", "CRLF", and the EBCDIC character strings, the corresponding ASCII character strings are also recognized. In addition, the EBCDIC character "NL" (line separator) is also interpreted as a line end marker.
  
  
• In files opened for appending or changing with FOR APPENDING or FOR UPDATE, the program searches for a line end marker that is already used in the file. In this process, first the end of the file is identified. If no line end marker is found there, a certain number of characters at the beginning is analyzed. If a line end marker is found, this is used when writing to the file. This is also affected by the addition CODE PAGE. For example, ASCII line end markers are recognized and used in a file opened with EBCDIC, but not the other way round. If no line end marker is found or no search is possible (for example, if the file is opened with the addition FILTER), the line end marker is determined according to the operating system of the application server, as with the addition WITH NATIVE LINEFEED.
  
  
• In files opened for writing using FOR OUTPUT, the line end marker is determined according the operating system of the application server, as with the addition WITH NATIVE LINEFEED.
  
  
  

Note

: The addition WITH SMART LINEFEED is intended for the generic editing of files in heterogeneous environments. The line end marker is recognized and set for different formats. The use of this addition is the best solution for most application cases.

Alternative 3

... WITH UNIX LINEFEED

Effect

: The line end marker is set to "LF" regardless of the access type and operating system of the application server.

The line end marker is interpreted according to the current code page. If a code page is specified explicitly using the addition CODE PAGE, the characters of the line end marker must be available or be written according to this code page.

Note

: The addition WITH UNIX LINEFEED is intended for editing Unix files in which the specific line end markers are to be retained, even if the operating system of the current application server is MS Windows.

Alternative 4

... WITH WINDOWS LINEFEED

Effect

: The line end marker is set to "CRLF" regardless of the access type and operating system of the application server.

The line end marker is interpreted according to the current code page. If a code page is specified explicitly using the addition CODE PAGE, the characters of the line end marker must be available and be written according to this code page.

Note

: The addition WITH WINDOWS LINEFEED is intended for use with MS Windows files in which the specific line end marker is to be retained, even if the operating system of the current application server is Unix, OS390 or OS400.