HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Comparison with $DSORT and #GSORT
This section compares XSORT with IBM System/3 $DSORT and IBM System 32
and 34 #GSORT.
XSORT provides:
* Support to handle multiple input files up to 9.
* A "Count-only" pass (SORTC) capability.
* An additional specification record called S Option, identified by an
S entry in column 6, which provides additional global controls
including:
* Address-out file first record number.
* Inplace sort override.
* Maximum number of records to be sorted.
XSORT does not provide:
* Support for data types "Z" (zone) and "D" (digit) for independent use
of EBCDIC zones and digits. XSORT supports data type "C" (complete
ASCII character).
* Summary Sort capability.
* The IBM #GSORT reserved "keywords" UDATE, UMONTH, UDAY, and UYEAR.
* The "workfile data verification" feature as controlled by IBM $DSORT
and #GSORT through Header Column 34.
* "Null Output Message" option as controlled by IBM #GSORT Header
Column 36.
* A 96 column specification form. XSORT's specification form is 80
columns. Users of $DSORT or #GSORT using Alternate Collating
Sequences of more than 80 columns will have to adapt them to the
80-column format when converting to XSORT.