XSMeXtended Sort Merge

Step 2

The XSM parameter file

This file contains XSM sort statements, options, and input/output file names.

In most cases, you can specify all the details on the XSM command line, but it is often simpler, more readable, and more elegant to use a parameter file.

Here, We decide to sort on keys 9 (state, 2 characters), 8 (county, up to 30 characters) and 10 (zip, 5 numeric characters).

We create an XSM parameter file specifying:

• the sort keys with VFIELDS= and the field separator with FIELDSEP=;
• variable format with RECFM=V, with each line limited to 400 characters by LRECL=400;
• the input file with INFIL and the output file with OUTFIL.