How do I create a zip archive on the iSeries and send it to the PC?
Zip a flat physical file on the iSeries as type data *TEXT. This will store the zip archive in ASCII so that the PC will be able to read it. Once you have created the zip archive, use PKUNZIP with the parameter type of processing *TEST to test the integrity of the archive. Once it has passed this test, then it is ready to go to the PC. The best way to transfer the zip archive to the PC is via FTP Binary. If you wish to send the zip archive via an alternative method, be sure to transfer it as a Binary image. Once you get the archive to the PC, add a .zip extension to the archive file so that the PC will recognize this as an actual zip archive. You can now UNZIP this archive on the PC with most PC zip programs.
Since the archive is created according to the ZIP APPNOTE specifications, the archive is cross-platform compatible. The archive file is a stream file and when transporting the archive it MUST be move in binary mode without any translations. One common method is to utilize the FTP services of the platforms, but if the archive file is in a sharable IFS folder, then the file may directly accessible from a mapped drive on Windows. If the files being compressed on the i/OS are text files and the date is stored on the i/OS in EBCDIC format the data should be compressed using the FILETYPE(*TEXT) so the EBCDIC data will translate to an ASCII format.
