COBOL Manual for TNS and TNS/R Programs

Data Division

HP COBOL Manual for TNS and TNS/R Programs—522555-006

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Index-Names

A Procedure Division reference to a Linkage Section data item in the called program

refers to a location in the calling program; however, this convention does not extend to

index-names. The index-name of a table in the calling program and the index-name of

a table in the called program always refer to separate indexes. This remains true even

when the names of the indexes are the same in the calling program and the Linkage

Section of the called program. An index-name’s value can be passed if it is saved in a

separate item and then passed. (See the example under CALL.)

Absent Linkage Section

If there is no Linkage Section in the called program, it looks like a main program to the

compiler. If you compile a main program and a subprogram with no parameters in the

same compilation session, you must include either a MAIN directive or an empty

Linkage Section to tell the compiler which program is the main one (see Main

Programs). If you do neither, the compiler reports that it found two main programs.

Because the compiler interprets subprograms that have no parameters as main

programs, if you want to compile a collection of such subprograms, you need to direct

the compiler not to attempt to give any of them the main attribute. To do this, use a

MAIN directive specifying a program-name that does not correspond to the name of

any program in the compilation.