Oracle-L: Re[2]: data cleansing question

From: Robert Eskridge <bryny_at_dfweahs.net>
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 08:03:22 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.0044AF0C.20020422080322@fatcity.com>

Lisa,

I'll assume the mainframe application is Cobol or some derivative. Are the original file descriptors available to you? If so they should hold some real clues whether it is a good idea to null out the fields that are all zeroes. If the field is really a number and meant to be used in a calculation, I'd generally leave it as a zero. On the other hand, if the field is described by a list of values for some sort of status, and zero is not listed as a valid code, then I'd null it in a heartbeat.

For example, I would not null this field:

SERVICE QUANTITY PASSED BY CLIENT APPLICATION V1.00
SHOULD BE MINUTES FOR ANESTHESIA V1.00
*
03 CLHC-DET-SERV-QTY PIC 9(4).

On the other hand I would certainly null this one:

OVERALL DISPOSITION OF A CLAIM RETURNED BY IMPULSE
*
02 RT-DISPOSITION-CODE PIC 9. 88 RT-DISP-REPRICED VALUE '1'. 88 RT-DISP-NON-REPRICED VALUE '2'. 88 RT-DISP-PENDING VALUE '3'. 88 RT-DISP-ADJUSTED VALUE '4'. 88 RT-DISP-BACK-OUT VALUE '5'. 88 RT-DISP-RE-REPRICE VALUE '6'. 88 RT-DISP-PEND-TIMEOUT VALUE '7'.

-rje

LK> The EBCDIC->>ASCII conversion is handled on the mainframe for me.  I am sorry
LK> I don't know much about the mainframe environment here, I want to say it's
LK> VSAM, there definately is no database.  It is so old, it's the type of
LK> mainframe where everything is on TAPE.

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Author: Robert Eskridge
  INET: bryny_at_dfweahs.net

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Received on Mon Apr 22 2002 - 11:03:22 CDT