Dicer is a software utility that allows you to merge, sort, dice (split), and/or duplicate the content of IBM i spooled files, creating one or more new spooled files as a result. With Dicer, you can reorganize an application's output without modifying the application.

The main function of Dicer is accessed by running the Merge Spooled File (MRGSPLF) command. The command takes one or more existing IBM i spooled files as input and merges, sorts, dices (splits) and/or duplicates the spooled file content based on the criteria you specify. The command creates one or more new spooled files, which are placed in the requested output queue.

As examples, these capabilities allow you to:

• Merge a spooled file containing customer invoices with a spooled file containing the related packing slips, sorting by customer number. The resulting spooled file will contain each customer's invoice and related packing slip as consecutive pages eliminating the manual effort required to collate the original spooled files.
• In the above example, you can specify that a separate spooled file be created for each customer.
• Duplicate a spooled file to additional output queues for printing.
• Sort the contents of a spooled file to avoid manual collating steps.
• Split the pages of a large spooled file into multiple spooled files containing only the pages specific to a department, user, store or branch.

Dicer supports the following IBM i print data streams:

*SCS	SNA Character String.
*IPDS	Intelligent Printer Data Stream.
*AFPDS	Advanced Function Presentation Data Stream.

The product includes work-a-likes for the IBM i Work with Spooled File (WRKSPLF) and Work with Output Queue (WRKOUTQ) commands. The work-a-likes allow you to display a list of spooled files and process them by entering an option number.

Our Display Page Data (DSPPAGDTA) command is included in the product. The command allows you to display selected data from within a spooled file. The command supports output to a display, to print, and most interestingly to an output file. For example, by displaying the page positions of the customer number in spooled files containing invoices, you can create an index from customer number to the related spooled files that contain their invoices.

Our Retrieve Page Data (RTVPAGDTA) command is included in the product. The command allows you to retrieve data from a specific location within a spooled file. The requested data is returned in a Control Language (CL) program variable.

Gumbo products include a range of standard features that make them easy to use, easy to manage, and easy to live with:

• Extensive manual, both online as menu option 1 and in PDF PDF (See downloads page).
• Context sensitive help for every command and parameter.
• Menu that provides organized access to the product's features.
• The product is packaged as a licensed program and participates in the full range of support provided by IBM i. Licensed program installation, PTF management, etc. are handled with the same commands used to manage IBM^® software.
• Unlike IBM^® Licensed Programs, our products are packaged to allow multiple releases to be installed at the same time. This facilitates new release testing.
• Product PTFs are available on the web or can be retrieved and installed in a single step using our Retrieve Gumbo PTF (RTVGSIPTF) command.
• Our products include a hot site friendly automatic authorization function that allows you to immediately move operations to any backup or failover machine without contacting us for a license key or authorization code.
• We include a Check Product Authorization (CHKPRDAUT) command that allows you to exercise the product's authorization algorithm and insure there are no authorization "surprises".
• An installation verification option is available on the menu. You can easily verify that the product is correctly installed.
• All (applicable) objects in our products are digitally signed allowing you to verify their integrity. Modifications that could jeopardize the security of your system are easily detected with IBM i's Check Object Integrity (CHKOBJITG) command.
• Our products are upward compatible with future IBM i releases. You can install a new IBM i release without installing a new release from us.
• Our products are compatible with all IBM i security levels. We use only published interfaces.

For additional information see: Answers to the most frequently asked general product questions.

A fully functional 30-day trial of the product is available for immediate download. There is no obligation. To receive an invoice, fill out an Invoice Request.

Gumbo offers two choices for licensing our IBM i software products, system wide licensing and partition licensing. These are mutually exclusive. A system wide license applies to a specific system serial number and processor group and is good for any and all partitions in the system. A partition license applies to a specific system serial number, partition number, and maximum processor capacity, and is not valid for a system that has not been partitioned. For the overwhelming majority of our customers, a system wide license (~ 98%) is the best choice. A partition license (~ 2%) is the best choice in very limited circumstances involving small partitions on large machines.

The system wide license prices for all of our products, with the exception of Report Designer, are tiered based on your system's processor group. You can determine your machine's processor group by running the IBM i Work with License Information (WRKLICINF) command.

The partition only license prices for all of our products, with the exception of Report Designer, are based on the maximum processor capacity configured for the partition (rounded up to the nearest tenth). You can determine your partition's maximum processor capacity by running the IBM i Start System Service Tools (STRSST) command and taking option 5 "Work with system partitions" then option 1 "Display partition information" then option 2 "Display partition processing configuration".

The one time charge includes the first  year of maintenance services. You are purchasing a permanent license to use the software subject to the terms of a license agreement and upgrade policy.