Output record exit

Using the output record exit, you can modify or ignore the records ACIF writes into the output document file. The program that is run by this exit is defined by the OUTEXIT parameter.

The exit receives control before a record (structured field) is written to the output document file. The exit can request that the record is ignored or processed. If the record is ignored, ACIF does not write it to the output document file. The largest record that the exit can process is 32752 bytes, not including the record descriptor word. The exit is not called when ACIF is processing resources.

AIX or Windows sample output record exit C language header contains a sample C language header that describes the control block that is passed to the AIX or Windows exit program.

typedef struct _OUTEXIT_PARMS/*Parameters for the output record exit      */
{
   char           *work;     /*Address of 16-byte static work area        */
   PFATTR         *pfattr;   /*Address of print file attribute information*/
   char           *record;   /*Address of the record to be written        */
   unsigned short recordln;  /*Length of the output record                */
   char           request;   /*Delete or process the record               */
   char           eof;       /*Last call indicator                        */
} OUTEXIT_PARMS;

The address of the control block that contains the following parameters is passed to the output record exit. For AIX and Windows, the address is passed by the first parameter.

work(Bytes 1–4)

A pointer to a static, 16-byte memory block. The exit program can use this parameter to save information across calls (for example, pointers to work areas). The 16-byte work area is aligned on a fullword boundary and is initialized to binary zeros before to the first call. The user-written exit program must provide the code that is required to manage this work area.

pfattr(Bytes 5–8)

A pointer to the print file attribute data structure. For more information about the format of this data structure and the information that is contained in it, see Attributes of the input print file.

record(Bytes 9–12)

A pointer to the first byte of the output record. The record is in a 32 KB buffer (where KB equals 1024 bytes). The buffer is in storage that is allocated by ACIF, but the exit program is allowed to modify the output record.

recordln(Bytes 13–14)

The length, in bytes, of the output record. If the output record is modified, this parameter must also be updated to reflect the actual length of the record.

request(Byte 15)

An indication of how the record is to be processed by ACIF. On entry to the exit program, this parameter is X'00'. When the exit program returns control to ACIF, this parameter must have the value X'00' or X'01', where:

X'00'

Specifies that the record is to be processed by ACIF.

X'01'

Specifies that the record is not to be processed by ACIF.

A value of X'00' on entry to the exit program specifies that the record is to be processed. If you want to ignore the record, change the request byte value to X'01'. Any value greater than X'01' is interpreted as X'00' and the exit processes the record.

Note: Only one record can be in the buffer at any time.

eof(Byte 16)

An end-of-file (EOF) indicator. This indicator is a 1-byte character code that signals when ACIF is finished writing the output file.

When eof is signaled (eof=y), the last record is already presented to the output exit. The pointer record is no longer valid. Records cannot be inserted when eof is signaled. These values are the only valid values for this parameter:

y

Specifies that the last record is written.

n

Specifies that the last record is not written.

This end-of-file flag, which is used as a last-call indicator, returns control to ACIF. The exit program cannot change this parameter.