Reading variable length record with Hexidecimal length problem

[jasullivan]

I need help with reading a variable length record with variable length fields.  These PESKY Z/OS Endevor SMF records also are not delimited.  We tried to use informat but realized that it is not supported by SAS v9.1.  No matter how we define the input we continue to get error messages and unexpected results.  If we can get past this one issue, we think we’re golden.

We know the location of the dataset length field in all the recs and the location of the dataset.  The length field for the dataset field is a 2-byte hex number, and we continue to get the message " Invalid data for DSLEN in line 1 305-306. "  Here’s a snippet of the input statement:

INPUT @3   TIMEDATE ?? SMFSTAMP8.         

      @31  USERID   $CHAR8.               

      @53  ACTION   $CHAR8.               

      @77  CCID     $CHAR12.              

      @201 ENVIR1   $CHAR8.               

      @209 STAG1    $CHAR8.               

      @217 SYST1    $CHAR8.               

      @225 SUBSYS1  $CHAR8.               

      @233 TYPE1    $CHAR8.               

      @305 DSLEN     HEX2.                

      @307 DATASET  $CHAR40.              

Record snip beginning at position 301:

						1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21
	3	0	1			.	.	.	.	.	.	A	P	P	.	S	G	0	6	2	0	1	.	A	S	M
Z	O	N	E			0	0	0	0	0	0	C	D	D	4	E	C	F	F	F	F	F	4	C	E	D
N	U	M	R			0	0	0	0	0	F	1	7	7	B	2	7	0	6	2	0	1	B	1	2	4

Thank you in advance for any help that you can provide.

[data_null__ · Accepted solution]

Try reading @305 dslen pib2.

then at @307  dataset $varying44. dslen

Untested just guessing.

[jasullivan]

The pib2 worked.  Previously when I tried the pd2, it still would not read the correct value.  Thank you both so much for your quick response! 

[garybald]

For z/os try reading

@305 dslen pd2.