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

Using HP COBOL in the OSS Environment
HP COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs—520347-003
19-9
Line Sequential Files
Line Sequential Files
Line sequential files (code 180) are available only in the OSS environment. Their
organization is line sequential. They are compatible with the system text editor of the
OSS environment; therefore, they can also be called OSS ASCII text files. (The
X/Open CAE specification defines an OSS ASCII text file as one that is compatible with
the system text editor.)
Line sequential files have these characteristics:
•
Every character in a record is printable.
•
Every record ends with a line-feed character, which is appended by a write
operation and removed by a read operation. (This characteristic distinguishes line
sequential files from sequential files.)
•
After a read operation, the record area from the last character of the actual record
to the end of the record area is filled with space characters (ASCII character code
SP).
•
If the record area is shorter than the record in the file, the next read operation
starts after the last character moved to the record area. (The length of the record
area is determined by the RECORD clause if it exists; otherwise it is determined by
the largest of the record descriptions.)
These topics explain these items with respect to line sequential files:
•
File-Control Entries
•
File Description Entries
•
I-O-CONTROL Paragraph
•
OPEN Statement
•
READ Statement
•
REWRITE Statement
•
WRITE Statement
Note. The operating system does not check for this.