What does ‘AS’ in AS400 stands for?

Ans: Application system.
 

2. What is ‘LPAR’?

Ans: OS/400 Version 4, introduced a feature LPAR (Logical PARtitioning) which facilitates running

multiple operating systems simultaneously on one IBM System i unit ensuring that one OS doesn’t
interfere other’s system resources/memory.
 

3. What is library is AS400? What are the types of library?

Ans: When we execute a command or call a program, the AS/400 must know where to find the
command or program and the answer is library. A Library is a collection of objects. QSYS is the only
library that contains other library. QSYS is the root library where the entire user defined/ system
defined library is created. System supplied libraries begin with the letter "Q" or "#".
 

Library list types:

System library: All IBM supplied library e.g. QSYS, QHLPSYS, QUSRSYS…

Product Library: Whenever Ibm product is used it is added to the library automatically and is
removed itself when the job completes.

Current Library: Current library is the working library i.e. all the work done by you is stored in
current library.
User Library: Non-IBM supplied i.e. created by the user.

For more information related to library and library commands:  Click here...
 

4. Which library gets first loaded into the system when we login?

Ans: QSYS
 

5. What is the purpose of QGPL library?

Ans:
QGPL (General Purpose Library) is subpplied by IBM. Normally, commonly used objects are placed
in QGPL. So, that it can be used by all the users signed into that system.
e.g.
We can use QGPL library in below cases:
Create an Output queues in QGPL so that the common printer can be used by everyone.
Create Commands in QGPL so that it can be used by all.
Transfer object to QGPL LIBRARY on remote system, so that those transferred objects can be used
by different users.

In many cases, when you do not specify a library while creating object, then system will create object
in QGPL. e.g.

DSPFD FILE(ACCOUNT) TYPE(*MBR) OUTPUT(*OUTFILE) OUTFILE(*LIBL/OUT11111)

After running above command, OUT11111 will be placed in QGPL as we mentioned *LIBL in library
which is not specific. Hence system uses this general purpose library QGPL. Hence, this General
purpose library is used by System as well as by users.
But, it is always advised to use your personal library instead of using QGPL.

6. How can we see all the objects and its sizes in a library?

Ans: By using the command DSPLIB.

 
Example:  DSPLIB IROBO1
 
     It gives you the information of all objects that resides in the library with it size.

Display Library

Library . . . . . . : IROBO1 Number of objects . : 8

Type . . . . . . . . : PROD Library ASP number . : 1
Create authority . . : *EXCLUDE Library ASP device . : *SYSBAS

Type options, press Enter.

5=Display full attributes 8=Display service attributes

Opt Object Type Attribute Size Text

PRINT1PGM *PGM RPGLE 131072 rpgle program for
pri
 ACCOUNT *FILE PF 49152 ACCOUNT RELATED
INFOR
PRINT1 *FILE PRTF 4096 PRINTER DDS RLU
GENER
QCLSRC *FILE PF 8192 Sources CL-
Programs
QDDSSRC *FILE PF 8192 DDS-Sourcen
QRPGLESRC *FILE PF 69632
QRPGLESRC2 *FILE PF 65536
QRPGSRC *FILE PF 8192 SOURCE PHYSICAL
FILE

Bottom
F3=Exit F12=Cancel F17=Top F18=Bottom

  

7. What is source physical file?

Ans: Source physical file is a file which contains the sources of different types of objects. There can
be up to 32768 members. Source physical file is an object. But the source member is not an object.
When we compile the member, the object is created for that source. Command used is CRTSRCPF.

CRTSRCPF FILE(IROBO1/QRPGSRC) RCDLEN(112) TEXT('SOURCE PHYSICAL

FILE’)
 

8. How to see all members of a file?

Ans: By using the command shown below:

DSPFD FILE(IROBO1/QRPGLESRC) TYPE(*MBRLIST)
 

9. How to see all record formats used in a file?

Ans: By using the command shown below:

DSPFD FILE(IROBO1/QRPGLESRC) TYPE(*RCDFMT)
 

10. How to change the record size of a physical file?

Ans: By using the command below:
CHGPF FILE(AMITNEM/OBJ) SRCFILE(AMINEM/QDDSSRC) SRCMBR(OBJ_SRC)
 
We change the highlighted part to change the size of a file.

Change Physical File (CHGPF)

Type choices, press Enter.

Physical file . . . . . . . . . Name

Library . . . . . . . . . . . *LIBL Name, *LIBL, *CURLIB

System . . . . . . . . . . . . . *LCL *LCL, *RMT, *FILETYPE

Source file . . . . . . . . . . *NONE Name, *NONE

Library . . . . . . . . . . . Name, *LIBL, *CURLIB

Member size:

Initial number of records . . *SAME 1-2147483646, *NOMAX,

*SAME
Increment number of records . *SAME 0-32767, *SAME
Maximum increments . . . . . . *SAME 0-32767, *SAME

11. How can we arrange duplicate records in a file?

Ans: For this we will use file level keywords FIFO/LIFO/FCFO in the physical file.
FIFO: The duplicate key records will retrieved in first in first out order.    
LIFO: The duplicate key records will retrieved in last in first out order.     
FCFO: The duplicate key records will retrieved in first changed first out order.
 

12. How to refer another file to define a new field in a physical file?

Ans: below is an example, we are going to use the file REFER to get the field definition
for new file.
USE OF REFERENCE                                                  
 Columns . . . : 1 71 Browse
AMINEM/DDSSRC
SEU==>
REFER
FMT PF .....A..........T.Name++++++RLen++TDpB......Functions+++++++++++++++
+++
*************** Beginning of data
*************************************
0002.00 A R REF
0003.00 A RAC1 2P 0 COLHDG('LEVEL ID')
0004.00 A RAC2 3P 0 COLHDG('ORG CODE')
0005.00 A RAC3 12P 0 COLHDG('ACCOUNT NUM')
0006.00 A RAC4 3A COLHDG('ACCOUNT
CURRENCY')
0007.00 A RPOSTCODE 2P 0 COLHDG('POST CODE')
0008.00 A RCOUNTRY 3P 0 COLHDG('COUNTRY CODE')
0009.00 A RNAME 20A COLHDG('NAME')
0010.00 A RDATE 3P 0 COLHDG('DATE')
****************** End of data
****************************************

 
Now we can refer the file ‘REFER’ to take the field definition in the new file.
 

Columns . . . : 1 71 Browse
AMINEM/DDSSRC
SEU==>
USEREF
FMT PF .....A..........T.Name++++++RLen++TDpB......Functions+++++++++++++++
+++
*************** Beginning of data *************************************
0002.00 A REF(REFER)
0003.00 A R USEREF
0004.00 A ACCLVL R REFFLD(RAC1 REFER)
>>>>>> field name and
0005.00 ALIAS(ACC_LVL_ID)
referred file name
0007.00 A ACCORG R REFFLD(RAC2 REFER)
0008.00 ALIAS(ACC_ORG_CODE)
0009.00 A ACCNUM R REFFLD(RAC3 REFER)
0010.00 ALIAS(ACC_NUM)
0011.00 A ACCCUR R REFFLD(RAC4 REFER)
0012.00 ALIAS(ACC_CUR)
0013.00 A ACCNAME R REFFLD(RNAME REFER)
 0014.00 ALIAS(ACC_NAME)

****************** End of data ****************************************

13. Can LEVEL CHECK ERROR occur if we do CHGPF?

Ans: It depends on the value that we have set for LVLCHK (Record format level check) attribute.  If
its value is *YES then the record format level identifier is checked when the file is opened and if it
doesn’t match it throws the error. If its value is *NO, then the record format level identifier is not
checked, hence no error.