COBOL Manual for TNS and TNS/R Programs

Data Division
HP COBOL Manual for TNS and TNS/R Programs—522555-006
7-44
General Considerations
data-name-1
is an alphanumeric data item whose value is the name of the record you are
describing.
FILLER
is a place holder for a record to which the program never refers. This is the default.
General Considerations
These considerations apply to all record descriptions:
•
Data Items Must be Defined
You must define every data item the source program uses (except the special
registers) with an appropriate data description entry in the Data Division. The forms
specified in this topic include:
°
When the data item is a logical record associated with a file, you must define it
in a level-01 data description entry associated with the file description entry for
the file of which it is a record.
°
When the data item is a logical record that is not associated with a file, you
must define it in a level-01 data description entry in the Linkage, Working-
Storage, or Extended-Storage Section.
°
When the data item is an independent elementary data item, you must define it
in a level-01 or level-77 data description entry in the Linkage, Working-Storage,
or the Extended-Storage Section.
°
When the data item is a subordinate part of a record, you must define it in a
data description entry (with a level number in the range 02 through 49)
associated with the appropriate record description entry.
°
When the data item is a redefinition of another item, you must define it in a
data description entry (with the same level number as the item it redefines)
associated with the appropriate record description entry or level-77 data
description entry.
°
The syntax and semantics of entries with level numbers 66 and 88 are
explained in later topics of this section.
•
Constraints on Clauses of the Data Description Entry
Each data description entry must begin with the level number. If a data-name or the
keyword FILLER is specified, it must immediately follow the level number. The
characteristics of the data item determine which of the clauses are required or
optional. Clauses that appear can do so in any order. No clause can appear more
than once.