COBOL Manual for TNS and TNS/R Programs

Data Division
HP COBOL Manual for TNS and TNS/R Programs—522555-006
7-52
EXTERNAL Clause
EXTERNAL Clause
The EXTERNAL clause specifies that a record data item is external. This item and all
of its subordinate data items are available to every program in the run unit that
describes that record.
Usage Considerations:
•
Working-Storage Section and Extended-Storage Section Records Only
Only data description entries within the Working-Storage Section or Extended-
Storage Section whose level number is 01 can include an EXTERNAL clause. In
this case the data-name must be specified; it cannot be omitted or replaced with
the keyword FILLER. Within the same source program, you cannot define a
specific data-name in more than one level-01 entry described with an EXTERNAL
clause.
You cannot specify the EXTERNAL clause in a data description entry that contains
the REDEFINES clause.
•
Not With VALUE Clause
You must not specify the VALUE clause in any data description entry that includes,
or is subordinate to an entry that includes, the EXTERNAL clause. You can specify
the VALUE clause for condition-name entries associated with the data description
entries, however.
•
External Record
The EXTERNAL clause specifies that the data item defined by this data description
entry is external. Because this data item is a record data item, it is also referred to
as an external record. All data items defined by subordinate data description
entries, including any redefinitions, are also external.
The data contained in the record identified by the record-name is external and can
be accessed and processed by any program in the run unit that describes and,
optionally, redefines it.
EXTERNAL
IS
VST075.vsd