Ok, I'm in stupid mode.

We got the mainframe.
The editer that we use is called "Wylbur".
This is an evil ISPF ripoff that includes
a bunch of scripting addons.

It stores it's files in "WYLBUR edit format".
I want to download these files to work with
them under Unix without forcing any additional
steps on the MF.

This would allow the MF SAS programmers
to work in their environment and then
trigger some code on the Unix box that
fetches their programs and data and then
runs it all on Unix, and then send the
data back to the MF. I'm trying to avoid
having them copy their program to a
"flat" file before the trigger if possible.

Search the web on "WYLBUR edit format".

We see that it is a "compressed" format.

A straight download and convert from EBCDIC
to ASCII shows some readable data, but lots
of trash mixed in. I assume some type of
run length encoding scheme for dupe values,
but not much else. It does not follow the
standard 4 byte binary block len prefix then
data either for the variable len record.

But I can't figure it out.

You will see lots and lots of pages on
how nobody will be using Wylbur and running
away from it. I've seen these for YEARS.
And every year they push the conversion
back. They seem to be waiting for the users
to die.

I've got a request for our MF systems
programmer to get a description from the
company that makes it, but that could take
months.

If anybody feels like playing (and doing my
work for me) let me know and I'll email some
sample before and after files. I can't web
post them since they include business logic.


broom@nospam.voicenet.com