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

Glossary
HP COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs—520347-003
Glossary-26
record area
record area. A storage area the process allocates for processing a record described by a
record description entry in the File Section.
record description entry. The total set of data description entries associated with a
particular record.
record key. A data item whose value identifies a record in a structured file. See prime
record key, relative key, and alternate record key.
record-name. A user-defined word that names a record described by a record description
entry in the Data Division.
record number. The ordinal number of a record in a sequential file.
reduced instruction-set computing (RISC). A processor architecture based on a relatively
small and simple instruction set, a large number of general-purpose registers, and an
optimized instruction pipeline that supports high-performance instruction execution.
Compare to complex instruction-set computing (CISC) and explicitly parallel instruction
set computing (EPIC).
reference format. A format that provides a standard method for describing COBOL source
programs:
•
Tandem reference format
•
ANSI reference format
reference modifier. The leftmost character position and length used to establish and refer
to a data item.
reference page. The online or hard-copy version of a file that provides reference
information for a software facility. Some UNIX documentation uses the term man page
instead, referring either to the online delivery mechanism used to display the file
(usually the shell man command) or to the nature of the file as part of the manual.
reference parameter. A parameter that is passed by reference (that is, its address is
passed). A called routine can permanently change the value of a reference parameter.
Compare to content parameter.
relation condition. The proposition, for which a process can determine a truth value, that
the value of an arithmetic expression or data item has a specific relationship to the
value of another arithmetic expression or data item.
relative file. A file that has relative organization.
relative key. A data item whose value identifies a logical record in a relative file.
relative organization. A permanent logical file structure in which an integer value greater
than zero uniquely identifies each record, specifying the record’s logical ordinal
position in the file.