Typically, record occurrences consist of groups of elements within a hierarchical structure required by a program or schema; however, records can also exist without elements, usually for documentation or planning purposes. When the user includes an element within a record, the DDDL compiler creates a record element and associates it with the named record. A record can have a maximum length of 32,767 characters.
RECORD statements establish and maintain record occurrences but do not directly relate records to elements; the RECORD ELEMENT and COBOL substatements that follow ADD RECORD or MODIFY RECORD statements establish and maintain record-element structures. These substatements are used as follows:
Identifies existing group and elementary elements and defines filler fields for use in the requested record. The DDDL compiler assigns a level number to each element and filler based on the SET OPTIONS statement LEVEL NUMBERS specification. Optional clauses supply record-specific element synonyms, OLQ and CULPRIT column headers, and record-specific editing, value, index, and multiply-occurring element specifications for each record element.
Identifies new or existing elements in a format specific to COBOL language programs. Optional clauses support record synonyms, record-specific element synonyms, comments, and COBOL 74 options; allow the user to define the element's level number, picture, value, and usage; and supply REDEFINES, INDEXED BY, and OCCURS specifications.
COBOL substatements can be followed by RECORD ELEMENT substatements to modify an existing record-element structure. Note, however, that if a COBOL substatement follows a RECORD ELEMENT substatement, the DDDL compiler creates a new record-element structure that replaces the structure associated with the RECORD ELEMENT substatement.
Additional substatements allow the user to rebuild and remove record elements and define restricted record-element structures (called views) for use within subschemas and files.
Optional RECORD statement clauses relate records to existing files, users, and other records. (Record occurrences can be related to programs by means of the RECORD COPIED clause of the PROGRAM statement and the DML precompilers.) The RECORD statement also supports comments, attribute/entity relationships, and record synonyms.
Note: If the keyword REPORT or TRANSACTION is used in place of RECORD, the DDDL compiler creates a special entity occurrence to document the report or transaction in the dictionary. These reports and transactions appear as distinct entity types on dictionary reports.
|
Copyright © 2014 CA.
All rights reserved.
|
|