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

Procedure Division Verbs

HP COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs—520347-003

9-108

MERGE

MERGE combines two or more files into another file, ordered by the same key.

MERGE is performed by the FastSort utility, using files that are not open to the COBOL

program. MERGE opens, reads, writes, and closes these files. MERGE can return

records to an output procedure that can then write them to some file that is open to the

COBOL program.

merge-file

is a sort-merge file description (SD) name. merge-file can have variable-length

or fixed-length records. Its record description entry defines the data item or items

used as the key or keys.

key-specifier

ASCENDING

specifies ascending merge order.

DESCENDING

specifies descending merge order.

PERFORM UP-DATE-MASTER UNTIL DONE

MOVE 0 TO M-FLAG

UNLOCKFILE IN-MASTER-FILE

...

Example 9-40. LOCKFILE Statement With TIME LIMIT Phrase (page2of2)

MERGE merge-file

COLLATING SEQUENCE phrase

USING phrase output-specifier

key-specifier

VST177.vsd

ASCENDING

DESCENDING KEY

key

VST178.vsd