Given the hexadecimal code of a character, how to convert it to the corresponding character in CL program?

Question

Now I need to find a particular entry in a journal using a CL program. The way I use to locate it is to DSPJRNE to put the journal entries in an output file, then use OPNQRYF to filter the desired one. The file is uniquely keyed so my plan is to compare the journal entry data with the key. The problem is that one of the key is a packed decimal so in the journal entry it is treated as hexadecimal code of characters and displayed as some strange symbols. So in order to compare the strings I need to convert the packed decimal key into the corresponding characters. How to achieve this in CL? If using CL is not possible, what about RPG?

Answer 1

To answer your immediate question, the CVTCH MI instruction will convert hex to char but I would not go that route; neither in CL nor RPG. Rather, I would take James' advice with a few additional steps.

DSPJRNE OUTFILE(QTEMP/DSPJRNE)
QRY input file DSPJRNE, output file QRYJRNE, select only JOESD
CRTDUPOBJ PRODUCTION_FILE QTEMP/JRNF DATA(*NO)
CPYF QRYJRNE JRNF FMTOPT(*NOCHK)

This will give you an externally described file with the exact same layout as your production file. You can query that, etc.

Answer 2

If you are pulling journal entries for a specific file you can dump them into an externally described file with a clever use of SQL:

CREATE TABLE QTEMP/QADSPJRN LIKE QSYS/QADSPJRN

ALTER TABLE QTEMP/QADSPJRN DROP COLUMN JOESD

CREATE TABLE QTEMP/DSPJRNE AS (SELECT * FROM QTEMP/QADSPJRN, FILE-LIB/FILE) 
WITH NO DATA

DSPJRNE ... OUTPUT(*OUTFILE) OUTFILFMT(*TYPE1) OUTFILE(QTEMP/DSPJRNE) 
ENDDTALEN(*CALC)