Since you don't have to specify the record_number for a relative in order to insert a record it would be super great to have the ability to retrieve that record_number at the time of the insert command, instead of issuing a select max statement which could take up time once the file starts getting very large. plus the possible error from the select max since some other user might add a row to the file.

currently in a cobol app we write the record and then just access the record key and we have that value. this is a quasi logging file/process that we store just raw data changes and we need to know the record_number for use in the control file that allows us to determine where to read in order to get that file change.

Since you don't have to specify the record_number for a relative in order to insert a record it would be super great to have the ability to retrieve that record_number at the time of the insert command, instead of issuing a select max statement which could take up time once the file starts getting very large. plus the possible error from the select max since some other user might add a row to the file.

currently in a cobol app we write the record and then just access the record key and we have that value. this is a quasi logging file/process that we store just raw data changes and we need to know the record_number for use in the control file that allows us to determine where to read in order to get that file change.