BOSS 7 file format

Hello:

I have a data set that was generated in the early 90s. Apparently, there
was at some point some helper application that allowed data to be
extracted by variable name from the overall data set. I am trying to
figure out the layout of the data files to see if it is possible to
decipher the data without going through this helper application. I do
not have the source or the binary for the helper application.

One of the files in this set starts with the following bytes:

0000000: 424f 5353 2037 2001 000e 0000 0040 0000 BOSS 7 ......@..
0000010: 000e 0000 003f 0000 0021 1522 0a08 103a .....?...!."...:
0000020: 1621 0355 0208 103e 0221 086e 0e21 0548 .!.U...>.!.n.!.H
0000030: 0408 1008 0021 0a3f 1f3f 0807 0020 043d .....!.?.?... .=
0000040: 2a3f 023f 023f 063f 3c22 0135 3c3f 042e *?.?.?.?<".5<?..

A bunch of Google searches and checking /usr/share/file/magic did not
give me any information regarding the format of this file.

Later, I realized that BOSS might be a format used by some Smalltalk
applications
(http://www.smalltalksystems.com/publications/danger_object_filing.doc).

I tried to load the file using the IDE provided at
http://www.cincomsmalltalk.com/ and it generated a meaningful exception:

'The identifier MediaCollectionDictionary has no binding'

The file does contain the strings:

MediaCollectionDictionary
MediaCollection*
CallMediaVehDict2

so this made some sense at least.

Now, I do not know any Smalltalk. Ideally, I am looking for a file
format specification of some sort so I can parse this large data set.

The data set itself is spread over seven large binary files. Plus, there
seems to be an index file and some sort of hash table, also in binary
formats.

I would appreciate any information, nudges and tips you can give me.

Sinan

--
A. Sinan Unur <1usa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
(remove .invalid and reverse each component for email address)
.

Relevant Pages

  • COPYMOD
    ... present in the data set label, will be deleted from the label. ... Do not use a PDSU block size smaller than the PDS block ... The unload data set is a sequential ... Revision | set can be basic format, large format, extended ...
    (bit.listserv.ibm-main)
  • Re: Migrating me from linux/bsd to zOS
    ... My "application" for the COPY command was in a sequence ALLOCATE, COPY, ... to tidy up a data set which had had a lot of activity: ... REQUIRED - 'DSNAME1' AND 'DSNAME2' ... THE FORMAT COMMAND PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE FORMATTING ...
    (bit.listserv.ibm-main)
  • Re: Dynamically obtaining allocated space characteristics
    ... Easiest is the write an assembler routine to obtain and analyze the format 1 and format 3 DSCB entries for the data set. ... For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, ... send email to listserv@xxxxxxxxxxx with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO ...
    (bit.listserv.ibm-main)
  • Re: Copying of non-consecutive, columnar data into consecutive-columnar cells
    ... A2 LastName Smith ... A5 FirstName David ... This format above is undesirable for me. ... I understand that I can individually, for each data set of 3 rows, ...
    (microsoft.public.excel)
  • Re: Count unique if text
    ... Using the data set you posted, sometimes I get 9 and sometimes I get 8. ... If I key in 6 to a blank cell (general format), then format as text, ISTEXT ... (The data array having 1 more element than the bin ...
    (microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions)