Considerations

CA JARS Wizard normally performs file matching after the SORT step, if there is one. Deferring this action generally improves performance speed. Nevertheless, statements that are executed before the SORT can refer freely to data fields in secondary files. The execution of the file matching step is moved before the SORT so that the secondary records are available in time for the first reference.
All files must be sorted so that their key fields are in the same sequence except when table files are used as secondary files.
For more information about matching, see the discussion of the MATCHED and MISSING parameters for the SELECT and COMPUTE statements.
The fCCa-b names have the same status as other data field names. They can be used in control statements, and all suffix codes apply. For example, 1CC15-18 is assumed to be a four-byte alphanumeric field. 1CC15-18(N)(.2) defines a four-digit numeric field with two decimal places. Input data must conform to this specification.
If only one nonglossary file is present, then all references to fields in that file can be made using the notation CCa-b, that is, f need not be specified.