The ALTSEQ control statement constructs an alternate collating sequence for all control fields for which the format code AQ has been specified. AQ can be specified in the following locations:
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SORT/MERGE control statement
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INCLUDE/OMIT control statement
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JOINKEYS control statement
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INCLUDE/OMIT parameter on OUTFIL and JOINKEYS control statements
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WHEN subparameter of IFTHEN on INREC, OUTREC and OUTFIL control statements
If an alternate collating sequence has been provided by installation default, AQ fields collate against this sequence, modified by the ALTSEQ control statement. If a default alternate sequence has not been provided, AQ fields collate against the standard EBCDIC sequence, modified by the ALTSEQ control statement. AQ can be specified for one or more control fields so that those control fields all use the same alternate collating sequence.
The ALTSEQ control statement also constructs an alternate collating sequence for all control fields processed by the TRAN parameter of the INREC and OUTREC control statements, as well as the TRAN subparameter of the OUTREC parameter on the OUTFIL control statement.
ALTSEQ Control Statement Format
CODE Parameter (Required)
The CODE parameter specifies how the characters of the current collating sequence are to be reordered to create the alternate collating sequence.
The CODE parameter can contain from 1 to 256 entries, each consisting of four hexadecimal digits. These entries must be separated by commas and enclosed in parentheses.
| cc | The cc value represents the character that is to be repositioned in the alternate sequence. |
| pp | The pp value indicates where the character represented by the cc value is to be repositioned in the alternate sequence. |
The character represented by the cc value does not replace the character represented by the pp value. If both characters occur as sort control fields, they will be considered equal in the collating process.
Each character (cc entry) can be moved only one time. However, more than one cc entry can be mapped to the same pp value.
Sample ALTSEQ Control Statements
This sample ALTSEQ control statement shows that the numbers 0 through 9 are to collate before the uppercase alphabet.
This sample ALTSEQ control statement specifies that the number 0 is to collate as equal to a blank (X'40').