Since you already have this out to a flat file, if you are using SQL Server 2005 or above, you can tell the Import wizard to UseBinaryFormat.  (It might be an "advanced" option in some versions.) This will let you load the packed decimal data and run it through a little conversion routine. I think SQL Server can also accept it as a DECIMAL datatype, but it depends upon how the data is actually formatted.

Or, perhaps even simpler, if you have Cobol or another language compiler available, just read the flat file and convert the packed decimal data on the fly. I don't know if MPE/ix stores packed data with ASCII or EBCDIC codes, but in either case, it probably isn't difficult to convert the packed field to fixed length ASCII. The Zone characters might be a little weird in ASCII...

If you need a hand with that, let me know. I can probably give you a conversion routine that will work, depending upon where you need to run the routine. :)

-Paul



On Monday, October 06, 2008, at 11:10AM, "Tony Tibbenham" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>All,
>
>Thank you for all your help so far:
>
>I have found the dictionary and Q (data) files.  I can get all the data
>out I want except for decoding the packed decimals: If I could achieve
>that without spending $'s I would be very happy.
>
>Regards,
>
>
>Tony
>
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