This chapter describes ICETOOL, a multi-purpose DFSORT utility. ICETOOL uses the capabilities of DFSORT to perform multiple operations on one or more data sets in a single job step. These operations include the following:

• Creating multiple copies of sorted, merged, edited, or unedited input data sets
• Creating output data sets containing subsets of input data sets based on various criteria for character and numeric field values, the number of times unique values occur, header records, trailer records or relative record numbers
• Sorting records between headers and trailers
• Creating output data sets containing different field arrangements of input data sets
• Resizing fixed length records by creating a larger record from multiple shorter records, or multiple shorter records from a larger record
• Creating list data sets showing character and numeric fields in a variety of simple, tailored, and sectioned report formats, allowing control of title, date, time, page numbers, carriage control characters, headings, lines per page, field formats, and total, maximum, minimum, average and count values for the columns of numeric data
• Printing messages that give statistical information for selected numeric fields such as minimum, maximum, average, total, count of values, and count of unique values
• Printing messages that identify invalid decimal values
• Printing messages that give record counts
• Setting RC=12, RC=8, RC=4, or RC=0 based on record counts
• Creating an output data set containing an output record with text and the record count
• Creating a list data set showing the DFSORT installation defaults in use
• Creating list data sets showing unique values for selected character and numeric fields and the number of times each occurs, in a variety of simple and tailored report formats
• Creating list and output data sets for records with: duplicate values, non-duplicate values, or values that occur n times, less than n times or more than n times
• Creating output data sets with information spliced together from two or more input records with duplicate values. The information in the input records can originate from different data sets, helping you to perform various file "join" and "match" operations.
• Using three different modes (stop, continue, and scan) to control error checking and actions after error detection for groups of operators.