COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs (H06.03+)

Glossary
HP COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs—520347-003
Glossary-12
file position indicator
file position indicator. A conceptual entity that either:
•
Contains the value of the current key within the key of reference for an indexed file
•
Contains the record number of the current record for a sequential file
•
Contains the relative record number of the current record for a relative file
•
Indicates that no next logical record exists
•
Indicates that the number of significant digits in the relative record number is larger
than the size of the relative key
•
Indicates that an optional input file is not present
•
Indicates that no valid next record has been established
File Utility Program (FUP). The file utility program provided by HP.
filename. In the Open System Services (OSS) environment, a component of a pathname
containing any valid characters other than slash (/) or null. See also file-name and file
name.
fixed attributes. Information about a file that is established when a process creates a file
and that cannot subsequently be changed during the existence of the file. These
attributes include the organization of the file (sequential organization, relative
organization, or indexed organization), the prime record key, the alternate record keys,
the code set, the minimum and maximum record size, the record type (fixed-length
record or variable-length record), the collating sequence of the keys for an indexed file,
the blocking factor, the padding character, and the record delimiter.
fixed-length record. A record associated with a file whose file description entry or sort-
merge file description entry requires that all records contain the same number of
character positions.
fixup. A phase of the program-loading operation performed by the operating system in
which external references to entry points in other code segments are resolved.
flag. In a UNIX or Open System Services (OSS) command, a character sequence that
begins with a hyphen and is processed as a unit.
footing area. The part of the page body (of a logical page) adjacent to the bottom margin.
formal parameter. A parameter defined by a called program. Compare to actual parameter.
format. A specific arrangement of a set of data.
FUP. See File Utility Program (FUP).