IRI, The CoSort Company

IRI delivers sequential and other file conversion functionality in two packages, which you can choose based on the level of need:

Sequential File Conversion Only
Now available from IRI is a low-cost, data migration product called NextForm. NextForm allows you to convert to, from, and in-between files in line, variable, and record sequential (text) format. Simple NextForm job scripts will allow you to specify a sequential format on input and another sequential format on output, or another format like ACUCOBOL Vision, CSV, LDIF, MF COBOL Variable Length and ISAM, Text, Variable Block, or flat XML files. And, you can go the other way; i.e. from those formats to a Sequential file format.

In addition to file format conversion, NextForm also translates data types at the field level, so you can migrate to and from legacy datasets with at both structural and granular levels. NextForm also allows you re-map record layouts so you can go easily between fixed and delimited file formats.

Note that NextForm file definitions will also work in SortCL so that you can re-use this metadata if you someday want to upgrade to CoSort's fast transformation, custom reporting, and/or data-centric protection functionality.

Sequential File Processing & Conversion
The CoSort package's SortCL tool can manipulate, report, protect, convert, and create files in Line, Record, and Variable Sequential formats.

In addition to its default text file ("record") format for fixed and variable length records, CoSort's SortCL tool can manage the manipulation and conversion to and from files in line, record and variable sequential formats. These are just three more examples of large file format support that CoSort offers for mainframe migrations and data:

• Processing (filter, transform, sort, convert)
• Presentation (delta, CRM, and summary reports)
• Protection (field encryption, masking, de-ID)
• Prototyping (safe test data & file generation)

Sequential Test Data
If you need to generate test data in Line, Record, or Variable Sequential file formats, see IRI's RowGen product. RowGen uses the same layout metadata as NextForm and CoSort (SortCL) so you can easily move between test data generation and real data transformation.