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

entries can be written for a logical record. They can occur in any order but must immediately
follow all other data description entries for the record.
• Restrictions on Names
old-name and end-name must be data areas within the same logical record and must be
different. No part of the storage area referenced by end-name can occupy character positions
preceding the beginning of the storage area referenced by old-name. The area referenced
by end-name can overlap that referenced by old-name, but must extend beyond it; therefore,
end-name cannot be subordinate to old-name.
old-name and end-name cannot be the names of data entries with level number 01, 66,
77, or 88.
Neither old-name nor end-name can have an OCCURS clause in its data definition or be
subordinate to an item whose description has an OCCURS clause.
• Level-66 item is Elementary or Group
When end-name appears, new-name is a data structure including all elementary items
starting with old-name (if it is an elementary item) or the first elementary item in old-name
(if it is a data structure) and concluding with end-name (if it is an elementary item) or the last
elementary item in end-name (if it is a data structure).
When end-name does not appear, new-name merely renames old-name and is a data
structure only if old-name is a data structure. The new item inherits all characteristics of the
old item.
• Restrictions on Data Area
If end-name appears, its data area can overlap that of old-name but must extend beyond
it; however, no part of the data area described by end-name can occupy character positions
preceding the beginning of the area described by old-name. Because no part of the data
area described by old-name can occupy character positions following the end of the area
described by end-name, end-name cannot be subordinate to old-name.
No item within the renamed area can have a variable size.
Descriptions of Noncontiguous Elementary Items (Level 77)
In the Working-Storage or Extended-Storage Section, you do not need to use the record structure
to define elementary items that bear no hierarchical relationship to one another. Instead, you can
classify and define them as noncontiguous elementary items. Use a separate data description entry
that begins with the special level number 77 for each of these items
222 Data Division