Reporting Facility Commands › SELECT Command

SELECT Command

(Area 4A,4B)

The SELECT command specifies the criteria used to determine which input records are to appear in the output report (if operating in Primary or Secondary mode) or in the output file (if operating in the Write-Only mode). The format of the SELECT command is as follows:

SELECT Command

►►─ SELECT ─┬─────────┬─┬─ logical expression ─┬──────────────────────────────►◄
            └─ 'tag' ─┘ └─ ALL ────────────────┘

'tag'

Is a single character within the range of A—Z, used to identify which SELECT command caused the record or set of records to be selected. The system can then reference this tag character in any subsequent PRINT commands within the same report group to permit selection printing or accumulation.

ALL

Specifies that all records are to be selected for processing, regardless of their content.

logical expression

Specifies the logical constraints to apply before the system selects this record set for processing. You must code this parameter following the standard Reporting Facility conventions for logical expressions.

Note the following:

• When you code multiple SELECT commands, three things are important:
  1. The system evaluates each SELECT command independently, but each command is considered to be a logical OR relationship with the other SELECT commands.
  2. The first SELECT command to be satisfied causes the record set to be selected without the remaining SELECT commands in the group being evaluated.
  3. You must code SELECT commands in a particular report group or in the output file definition group, with no other Reporting Facility commands between them.
• If the tag character is used, it is moved to the predefined field named TAG. The system then references it in subsequent CONTROL, PRINT, or FORMAT commands. You can sort on, print, or place in the output file the tag character assigned to the record set.
• To selectively print data on a particular report based on the tag character, you must combine the use of the SELECT and PRINT commands. Since the SELECT command causes the tag character to be assigned, the PRINT command analyzes the tag character prior to printing or accumulating.

Example

This command sequence causes all records to be selected:

 SELECT 'A' WHEN AMOUNT-FIELD LT 100
 SELECT 'B' WHEN AMOUNT-FIELD LTE 200
 SELECT 'C' ALL
 PRINT   A;AMOUNT-FIELD  B;AMOUNT-FIELD  C;AMOUNT-FIELD

The system tags any record with an AMOUNT field containing a value of less than 100 with an A. When the AMOUNT field is in the range of 100—200, the record is tagged with a B; otherwise, it is tagged with a C.