flat file conversion utility?

[solid7]

I looking for a flat file conversion utility. This is for data that has been migrated from a CAD mainframe - I think. (it is not database data, and it is not delimited data)

Thanks for any help...


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[KenCunningham]

Can you specify your requirements more exactly? What does the file look like and what do you want to convert it to?

 

[solid7]

I cannot specify *exactly* as it is not a widely used format, and to do so may compromise a confidentiality agreement. (by revealing certain information contained in the file name/extension)

All that I can really say, unfortunately, is what I wrote above. Flat file, believed to be migration data from CAD mainframe, definitely not a delimited text file. It appears to be created for a migration to AIX operating system.




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[KenCunningham]

I think if anyone's to be able to help you, we need some dummy data and what-have-you in order to see what we're talking about. Disclosure of filename/extension shouldn't be required, but without the data and what needs to be done with it we're working in the dark. If it's for an AIX operating system, do you know what it's purpose is within that operating system? Sorry I can't be more help at this stage!!

 

[plamb]

that being said your on your own

 

[solid7]

I guess I don't know what to tell you that I haven't - it's a flat file, for migration to AIX, there's CAD data behind it, and I need to extract that. Purpose within the operating system? No idea. I just know that's where it's going, and I'm very certain that it was some sort of "something" to AIX migration. Even my customer can't tell me very much about it.

Using the "file" command on the file reveals the following: "data or internationaal language text"

What else can I tell you? Is there something else that can be queried from AIX, regarding the nature of the file?


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[KenCunningham]

Can you more or pg the file? If so, does it look like it might be fixed-length rather than delimited? Is there anything in any header or footer to give you any clues.

 

[solid7]

pg" reveals a bunch of goobledy-gook, with multiple headers and footers - indicating multiple files. "PROJECT" and "EXPORTED" are typical headers, as well as the following:

HIGH PRIORITY 1461 EME VERSION /VERSION 1.1/IDENTIFICATEURS EXPORTED


This is a 200 MB file, and more gives thousands of pages of gobbledy-gook. Nothing that I can reasonably sort through.

This is definitely CAD data, no doubt about it.













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[kHz]

I am still unclear what exactly needs to be converted. Is this a mainframe file or AIX file? Either way it is going to involve coding to convert the data you have. There may be a conversion utility available, but without any information given it is hard to do anything. If it is from a mainframe it is in EBCDIC and would have to be converted to ASCII. If it is EBCDIC, then is it packed decimal or packed binary data? If it isn't packed, then a dd will do the convert from EBCDIC to ASCII.

 

[solid7]

OK, one more time - it is a MIGRATION *from* a MAINFRAME *to* AIX. The flat file contains CAD data.

I would assume that it's binary.






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[kHz]

Well you can't assume. If the originating data is from a mainframe then you should have the field layout for each record so you can convert the data. I don't know why you keep saying flat file because a flat file because it probably doesn't really fit the definition of flat file. Just because the 'file' command returns ...text... doesn't mean it is a flat file which would be proven by the "gobbledy-gook" comment.

Again, if this data was created on a mainframe, then you need to know what created it and the record layout so you can convert it. You will also need to know if this is packed data or not.

Sorry, but this isn't really a simple task. Actually, it is very difficult.

 

[p5wizard]

Reading the word IDENTIFICATEURS (French) leads me to believe you have some sort of catia export file. Catia is a CAD system which runs a.o. on AIX systems and is a software from Dassault Systemes. More than that I don't know.

check out their website:

http://www.3ds.com/products-solutions/brands/CATIA/

Note: without a sample file or post of the output of

head -2 <filename>

I wouldn't count on a lot of help from this community...

 

[p5wizard]

head -20
or
head -200

 

[solid7]

yes, it certainly is Catia output. I have known this since the beginning, but assumed, for the sake of this post, that CAD was enough info. The info was not generated BY Catia, so I didn't rank any relevance to mentioning it.

You won't get any better data out of the "head" command than what I gave previously.




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[p5wizard]

but it is apparently sth you should be able to import into CATIA. There you go again - a few feet of CATIA manuals to go through...

I can't help you on this, but it must be in the CATIA manuals somewhere...

 

[solid7]

I wish it was.

I did search the manuals. I searched IBM's website. Nothing that I could find. I did a websearch. No reliable results.

Catia manuals don't scare me. I've been a Catia operator for 10 years, and am probably as good at it as you guys are at AIX administration. (sorry - another assumption - could be good or bad for either of us)

I'll get it figured out. I'll post my findings back to this topic.


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[KenCunningham]

I'd be interested to see them, but I really don't think that assuming readers should know it is Catia data is a sensible way of presenting the query in the first place.

 

[solid7]

My apologies in advance, but I have NO idea what you are talking about. Whatever you just wrote made absolutely no sense to me. Nobody ever assumed that the reader should know that it is Catia data. In fact, I think quite the opposite, as my post says. CAD data was sufficient info - that was what I said. (knowing that there is no convert utility specifically for the app, why would I mention it by name?) Additionally, it is NOT a native file, so why again, why would I mention it by name? This could be ANY CAD migration from mainframe to AIX, for what it's worth. It just happens to be Catia. And, since I have not read all 150,000 lines or so that appear when doing a query, it just might be other CAD data. I really don't know.


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[KenCunningham]

Obviously. My point being that cryptic questions will get at best cryptic answers. I think it would be best to draw a line under this now. Good luck.

 

[p5wizard]

If it is a CATIA export/model/data (whatever) file from mainframe, then you should be able to import it in CATIA on RS6K.

You shouldn't have to convert it.
If it doesn't work - maybe you should call in IBM/CATIA support...

note:
If the file was copied from mainframe to AIX via whatever means, maybe the contents was already garbled before you got it in your hands...