Previous Topic: SyntaxNext Topic: Usage


Parameters

segment-name

Specifies the segment associated with the area. Segment-name must identify a segment defined in the dictionary.

If you do not specify a segment name when you issue an AREA statement, you must first establish a current segment as described in 7.3.3, “Entity Currency" earlier in this chapter.

area-name

Specifies the name of the area. Area-name must be a 1- through 18-character name that follows the conventions described in 7.3, "Naming Conventions".

Area-name must be unique within the segment associated with the area.

Important! If the area is associated with an SQL segment in an application dictionary, you must drop any tables or indexes associated with the area before you attempt to delete the area by issuing a DROP AREA statement.

Important! If the area is associated with a non-SQL segment, the name of the area must be the same as the area defined in the non-SQL schema.

initial-page-range-specification

Specifies the initial page range assigned to the area. This clause is required on a CREATE statement.

Native VSAM: For special considerations that apply to the page ranges of native VSAM data sets, see the "Usage" topic in this section.

PRIMARY SPACE primary-page-count

Specifies the initial number of pages to be included in the area. Primary-page-count must be an integer in the range 2 through the maximum number of pages determined by the MAXIMUM RECORDS clause of the SEGMENT statement. The upper limit is 1,073,741,821.

Important! This parameter establishes the default CALC page range of the area and should not be specified with new values on an ALTER AREA request unless the area is empty or is to be reloaded using the RELOAD or REORG utilities.

FROM page start-page

Specifies the page number of the first page in the area. Start-page must be an integer in the range 1 through the maximum number of pages determined by the MAXIMUM RECORDS clause of the SEGMENT statement. The upper limit is 1,073,741,821.

MAXIMUM SPACE max-page-count pages

Specifies the largest number of pages that can be included in the area. Max-page-count must be:

The default maximum number of pages is the area's primary page count.

Native VSAM: If specified, MAXIMUM SPACE must equal the primary page count.

EXTEND SPACE extend-page-count

On an ALTER AREA statement, specifies a number of pages to be added to the area. The new pages are numbered starting after the last page currently in the area.

Extend-page-count must be an integer in the range 1 through the maximum number of pages determined by the MAXIMUM RECORDS clause of the SEGMENT statement. The upper limit is 1,073,741,818. The number of new pages plus the number of existing pages cannot exceed the maximum number of pages allowed for the area.

When you add pages to an area, you must also associate the added pages with either:

Added pages are automatically associated with file blocks, by specifying the 'WITHIN FILE'-clause without the 'FROM'-clause for the <file-name> (if only 1 file is associated with the area) or for the last <file-name> (if more than 1 file is associated with the area). All other changes in the assignment of file blocks require first an EXCLUDE of the <file-name(s)>, followed by a new 'WITHIN FILE <file-name> FROM'-clause.

Important! When specifying an EXTEND SPACE parameter, do not specify a PRIMARY SPACE parameter which alters the original page range of the area.

Native VSAM: Do not specify the EXTEND SPACE clause.

Note: See the Usage section for guidelines about using this parameter.

Note: This parameter is not valid on the CREATE AREA statement.

PAGE SIZE character-count

Specifies the number of characters in each page of the area. This clause is required on a CREATE statement. Character-count must be a multiple of 4 in the range 48 through 32,764 and must be at least 40 bytes larger than the largest fixed-length record or uncompressed row in the area. Some operating systems may not support a page size of 32764 characters. Check your operating system limitations.

Native VSAM: Do not specify the PAGE SIZE clause.

PAGE RESERVE SIZE reserve-character-count

Specifies the number of characters to be reserved on each page to accommodate increases in the length of records or rows stored on the page. Reserved space will be used for:

Reserve-character-count must be either 0 or:

The default is 0.

Native VSAM: Do not specify this clause.

ORIGINAL PAGE SIZE original-character-count

Specifies the page size of the area when it was last formatted. This clause must be specified the first time the page size of an area is increased using the EXPAND PAGE utility statement, and should not be specified again unless you reformat the area using the new specification.

Original-character-count must be a multiple of 4 in the range 48 through 32764 and cannot be greater than the value specified for the PAGE SIZE clause. The default on a CREATE AREA statement is the value specified for the PAGE SIZE clause.

Native VSAM: Do not specify this clause.

STAMP BY TABLE

On a CREATE AREA statement, directs CA IDMS/DB to update the synchronization stamp for an individual table in the area when the definition of the table or any associated CALC key, index, or referential constraint is modified. This clause is valid only for areas that are associated with an SQL segment.

STAMP BY TABLE overrides the synchronization stamp specification defined for the segment with which the area is associated.

Note: This parameter is not valid on the ALTER AREA statement.

STAMP BY AREA

On a CREATE AREA statement, directs CA IDMS/DB to maintain a synchronization stamp for the area as a whole in addition to the synchronization stamps for individual tables. CA IDMS/DB updates the stamps for both the individual table and the whole area when the definition of any table in the area or any associated CALC key, index, or referential constraint is modified.

This clause is valid only for areas that are associated with an SQL segment.

STAMP BY AREA overrides the synchronization stamp specification defined for the segment with which the area is associated.

Note: This parameter is not valid on the ALTER AREA statement.

TIMESTAMP timestamp-value

Specifies the value of the synchronization stamp to be assigned to the area. Timestamp-value must be a valid external representation of a timestamp. This clause is valid only for areas associated with an SQL segment and for which area-level stamping is in effect.

symbol-specification :pd
ADD

For areas associated with non-SQL segments, specifies a value for a symbolic parameter defined in a non-SQL schema definition. ADD is the default.

Note: If the symbolic parameter is already defined to the area, CA IDMS/DB updates its value.

DROP

For areas associated with non-SQL segments, removes the symbolic parameter.

To drop a symbolic parameter, specify only the name of the symbol to be dropped. Optional clauses, such as subarea-specification, are not allowed.

SUBAREA symbolic-subarea-name

Names a symbolic parameter that represents a subdivision of the area's page range. Symbolic-subarea-name is a 1- to 18-character name that follows the conventions described in 7.3, "Naming Conventions". Symbolic-subarea-name must be unique within the subareas defined for the area.

subarea-specification

Specifies an actual page range for the subarea or a relative page range for the subarea based upon the total number of pages defined for the area. If you do not specify an actual or relative page range for the subarea, the default is the page range of the area expressed as this offset specification:

offset 0 pages for 100 percent
FROM page start-page

Specifies the starting page for the subarea. Start-page must be an integer in the range 1 through the high page number of the area.

THRU page end-page

Specifies the last page for the subarea. End-page must be an integer:

SPACE subarea-page-count pages

Specifies the number of pages to be included in the subarea. Subarea-page-count is an integer in the range 1 through the number of pages in the area.

FROM page subarea-start-page

Specifies the first page of the subarea. Subarea-start-page must be an integer in the range 1 through the high page number of the area.

OFFSET

Specifies a relative page range for the subarea, in terms of either a percentage of the area or a displacement relative to the first page of the area. The assigned relative page range must fall within the page range for the area.

offset-page-count PAGEs

Determines the first page of the subarea within the area. CA IDMS/DB uses the calculation below to determine the relative page number:

first subarea page = (LPN + offset-page-count)

     where LPN = the lowest page number in the area

Offset-page-count must be an integer in the range 0 through the number of pages in the area minus 1.

offset-percent PERcent

Determines the first page of the subarea within the area based on the lowest page number of the area and the total number of pages in the area:

first subarea page = (LPN + (PPC * offset-percent * .01))

     where LPN = the lowest page number in the area
       and PPC = the primary page count

Offset-percent must be an integer in the range 0 through 100.

FOR page-count PAGEs

Determines the last page of the subarea within the area based on the first page of the subarea:

last subarea page = (FSP + page-count - 1)

     where FSP = the first subarea page
                 (determined by calculations above)

The calculated page must not exceed the highest page number in the area.

FOR percent PERcent

Determines the last page of the subarea within the area based on the first page of the subarea and the total number of pages in the area:

last subarea page = (FSP + (TNP * percent * .01) - 1)

     where FSP = the first page in the subarea
                 (determined by calculations above)
       and TNP = the total number of pages in the area

Percent must be an integer in the range 1 through 100. The default is 100. If percent causes the calculated last page of the subarea to be greater than the highest page number in the area, the compiler ignores the excessive page numbers, and CA IDMS/DB will store the record occurrences up to and including the last page in the area.

SYMBOLIC DISPLACEMENT symbolic-displacement-name

Names a symbolic parameter that represents the displacement of member records that participate in a VIA set from the owner record of the set. Symbolic-displacement-name is a 1- to 18-character name that follows the conventions described in 7.3, "Naming Conventions". Symbolic-displacement-name must be unique within the symbolic displacement names defined to the area.

page-cnt-pages

Specifies how many pages separate the member record of a VIA set from the owner record. Page-cnt-pages is an integer in the range 0- through 32767.

SYMBOLIC INDEX symbolic-index-name

Names a symbolic parameter that represents index characteristics. Symbolic-index-name is a 1- to 18-character name that follows the conventions described in 7.3, "Naming Conventions". Symbolic-index-name must be unique within the symbolic index names defined to the area.

index-specification

Specifies either:

BLOCK CONTAINS key-count keys

Specifies the maximum number of entries in each internal index record (SR8 system record). Key-count must be an integer in the range 3 through 8180.

DISPLACEMENT page-count pages

Indicates the number of pages bottom-level SR8 records are displaced from the top of the index. Page-count must be either 0 or an integer in the range 3 through 32,767. The default is 0, which means bottom-level index records are not displaced.

BASED ON KEY LENGTH key-length

Calculates the size of the index block and displacement based upon the length of the key fields and the number of entries in the index. Specify key-length as:

SORTED

Indicates that the index keys are sorted.

UNSORTED

Indicates that the index keys are not sorted.

FOR index-cnt RECORDS

Specifies an estimated number of record occurrences to be indexed. Index-cnt is an integer in the range 0 through 2,147,483,647. The default is 1000. See "Usage" for further information.

file-specification

Specifies the file(s) to which pages in the area map. An area can map to one or more files.

ADD FILE file-name

Associates the area with the named database file or native VSAM file that has an access method of KSDS, ESDS or RRDS. File-name must identify a file that:

You can associate an area with 1 through 32,767 files. Pages in the area are mapped consecutively to blocks in the first file named, then to blocks in the second file named, and so on. If any files are associated with the area, you must identify enough file blocks to accommodate all the pages in the area. Native VSAM: Native VSAM files with access method KSDS, ESDS, or RRDS must map to one and only one area. Likewise, the area must map to one and only one native VSAM file and PATH file.

DROP FILE file-name

Dissociates the area from the named file. File-name must identify a database file previously associated with the area.

If you dissociate a file from an area, you must identify enough additional file blocks in the same ALTER AREA statement to accommodate the pages that no longer map to the file, unless all files are dissociated from the area.

PATH FILE native-vsam-file-name

Identifies a native-VSAM PATH file for the area. Native-vsam-file-name is a 1- to 18-character name of a PATH file defined to the segment. The following restrictions apply:

FROM start-block

Specifies the number of the first block in the named file to be associated with the area. Start-block must be an integer in the range 1 through 2,147,483,646. The default depends on the verb:

THRU end-block

Specifies the number of the last block in the named file to be associated with the area. End-block must be an integer in the range 2 through 2,147,483,647.

FOR ALL

Specifies that blocks in the named file are to be associated with the area for the entire page range of the area, or, if specified for an ALTER AREA with an EXTEND SPACE clause, for the number of pages in the extended space.

FOR block-count blocks

Specifies the number of blocks in the named file to be associated with the area. Block-count must be an integer in the range 2 through 2,147,483,647.

FILes

Displays or punches information about all files to which the area is mapped.

SYMbols

Displays or punches information about all symbols defined to the area.

DETails

Displays or punches details about the area.

HIStory

Displays or punches:

ALL

Displays or punches all information about the area. ALL is the default action for a DISPLAY or PUNCH verb.

NONe

Displays or punches the name of the area.