Bill Carneal <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I have a flat file (>56,000 recs.) with account # in columns 1-8 and
> 2-digit suffix #s in columns 10-11, sorted in ascending order.  If an
> account has more than one suffix associated with it, a record exists for
> each suffix (with the same account # in columns 1-8).  An account might
> have only one record, or multiple records.
>
> Our auditors want a report that shows the first account and all the
> records with that account #.  Then the report needs to show every 22nd
> account thereafter (with all records for that account#).
>
> What would be the best way to generate such an extraction from the
> flat file?  We have the standard MPE/iX tools, as well as MPEX and
> SpeedWare's EasyReporter.


Ah, auditors!  Can't live with them and can't live with them either.

I have encountered the same request in the past.

"Let's see, you have 2200 accounts and we want to audit one hundred of
them...so please select every 22nd one!"

With SUPRTOOL by Robelle (http://www.robelle.com), you can create a
table of unique account values ("OUTPUT ,NODUPKEY" command), then select
every nth record from this table ("INPUT (#n)" command), then extract
all suffix records associated with each selected account ("TABLE" and
"$LOOKUP" commands) out of the original file.  It is at most a 10-15
line SUPRTOOL routine.

---
Dale Halterman                  Wumly Consulting Services, Inc.
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