Including Date field in the output file using SORT

Including Date field in the output file:

Many a times it is required to include the date in the output file. This can be done using DATE parameter in SORT.
There are 3 DATE parameter option available, DATEn, DATEn(c) and DATEnP where n=1, 2 or 3.

Consider the input file INFILE,
1111111111111111111111111111
1111111111111111111111111111
1211111111111111111111111111
1311111111111111111111111111
1411111111111111111111111111
1511111111111111111111111111
1611111111111111111111111111
1711111111111111111111111111
1811111111111111111111111111
1911111111111111111111111111
2011111111111111111111111111
2111111111111111111111111111
The output date is in Zoned Decimal format.
The DATE1 occupies 10 bytes and gives the date in YYYYMMDD format.
The DATE2 occupies 6 bytes and gives the date in YYYYMM format.
The DATE3 occupies 7 bytes and gives year and Julian date (JDT) as YYYYJDT format.
The JCL’s below show the use of DATEn parameter. The current date August 26, 2010(Julian Date 238)

//STEP01 EXEC PGM=SORT
//SORTIN DD DSN=INFILE,DISP=SHR
//SORTOUT DD DSN=OUTFILE1,DISP=SHR
//SYSIN DD *
SORT FIELDS=COPY
OUTREC FIELDS=(1,29,&DATE1)
//

The contents of OUTFILE are as below,
OUTFILE:
1111111111111111111111111111 20100826
1111111111111111111111111111 20100826
1211111111111111111111111111 20100826
............

On using DATE1 we have the current date in YYYYMMDD format.

//STEP01 EXEC PGM=SORT
//SORTIN DD DSN=INFILE,DISP=SHR
//SORTOUT DD DSN=OUTFILE2,DISP=SHR
//SYSIN DD *
SORT FIELDS=COPY
OUTREC FIELDS=(1,29,&DATE2)
//

The contents of OUTFILE2 are as below,
1111111111111111111111111111 201008
1111111111111111111111111111 201008
1211111111111111111111111111 201008
.........
On using DATE2 we have the output date in YYYYJDT format

//STEP01 EXEC PGM=SORT
//SORTIN DD DSN=INFILE,DISP=SHR
//SORTOUT DD DSN=OUTFILE2,DISP=SHR
//SYSIN DD *
SORT FIELDS=COPY
OUTREC FIELDS=(1,29,&DATE3)
//

The contents of the OUTFILE2 is as below,
1111111111111111111111111111 2010238

Using the DATEn(c) parameter:
On using the DATEn(C) parameter, the output date appears in formatted way wherein a character ‘/’ is placed between the year month and date fields.
DATE1(c) occupies 10 bytes and the format is YYYY/MM/DD.
DATE2(c) occupies 7 bytes and the format is YYYY/MM.
DATE3(c) occupies 7 bytes and the format is YYYY/JDT.

Using the DATEnP parameter:
On using DATEnP the output appears in Packed decimal format. So the number of bytes occupied is lesser than DATEn parameter. Other than this there is no difference between DATEn and DATEnP.
The DATE1 occupies 5 bytes and gives the date in YYYYMMDD format.
The DATE2 occupies 4 bytes and gives the date in YYYYMM format.
The DATE3 occupies 4 bytes and gives year and Julian date (JDT) as YYYYJDT format.
1111111111111111111111111111 2010238


Retrieving Information on records having older dates:
Consider a case wherein we need to retrieve records that have yesterday’s date.
The JCL is as below,

//STEP01 EXEC PGM=SORT
//SORTIN DD DSN=INFILE1,DISP=SHR
//SORTOUT DD DSN=OUTFILE3,DISP=SHR
//SYSIN DD *
SORT FIELDS=COPY
INCLUDE COND=(30,8,CH,EQ,&DATE1-1)
OUTREC FIELDS=(1,40)
//