COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs (H06.08+, J06.03+)

An internal data item is initialized at each of these times:
• The first time the program is executed.
• The first time the program is called after a CANCEL statement that references it has been
executed, unless a NOCANCEL directive affects the program.
• Every time the program is called, if the program is an initial program (see Initial Programs
(page 51)). The NOCANCEL directive does not affect initial programs.
Once initialized, an internal data item retains the last value assigned to it throughout the current
execution of the run unit, unless an event that causes internal data items to be reinitialized occurs.
In that case, the data item is reassigned its initial value if it has a VALUE clause or if a BLANK
directive is active; if not, its contents are unpredictable.
Size Limits
In Chapter 20: HP COBOL Limits (page 726), see Data in a run unit.
Checkpointing
You do not have to put level-01 items (records) and level-77 items in any special order in the
Working-Storage Section; however, when you plan working storage for a program to be run as
a process pair, this approach simplifies checkpointing:
• Group all independent data items into a record, and code the record in the same part of the
Working-Storage Section as other level-01 items.
• Reserve level-77 items for constants, and code them last.
Extended-Storage Section
NOTE: TNS/E HP COBOL does not need an Extended-Storage Section. The ECOBOL compiler
handles any data items that are described in the Extended-Storage Section as if they were described
in the Working-Storage Section, without issuing a warning.
01-data-description, 77-data-description
describe data items for the process to use. You can specify initial values for most of these data
items. See Data Description Entries and Initializing Data Items.
There are limits to the number of records and level-77 items that a program can contain. See
Chapter 20: HP COBOL Limits (page 726).
66-or-88
is a level-66 or level-88 description. For syntax, see Descriptions That Rename Items (Level 66)
and Descriptions of Condition-Names for Values (Level 88).
The Extended-Storage Section, if present, must appear after any Working-Storage Section. A
program can have both sections, either section without the other, or neither section.
178 Data Division