Logical record length

HFS files are byte-oriented, not record-oriented like z/OS® data sets. An HFS file is either defined as a text file, where record boundaries are determined by a delimiter (such as NL, LF, CR, and so on), a binary file (no specific boundaries), or neither a text or binary file. When accessing the file as a simulated QSAM data set, File Manager must identify logical records. The choice is left to you, rather than based on the file type. File Manager assumes text mode (delimited records), unless you request binary mode. In text mode, records are variable-length with the data residing between delimiters. In binary mode, delimiters are not distinguished; the records are user-defined and of fixed length (80 is the default).

File Manager assumes a maximum block size of 32760 bytes. The maximum record length is 32752 for variable-length records, and 32760 for fixed-length records. If the record length is greater than the limit, you must use binary mode.