COBOL Manual for TNS and TNS/R Programs

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Data Division

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

7-53

GLOBAL Clause

Within a run unit, if two or more programs describe the same external data record,

then the associated data description entries (including all subordinate data-names

and data items and their redefinitions) must be identical; however, a program that

describes an external record can contain a data description entry including the

REDEFINES clause that redefines the complete external record, and this complete

redefinition need not occur identically in other programs in the run unit. Also, all

descriptions must be in the same section; that is, a description cannot be in the

Extended-Storage Section in one program and in the Working-Storage Section of

another program.

When a file description entry contains the EXTERNAL clause, the data items

defined in its associated record description entries inherit the external attribute;

therefore, the preceding rules apply to these record description entries as well as

those defined in the Working-Storage Section and Extended-Storage Section.

Example 2-2 contains an example of the use of the EXTERNAL clause.

GLOBAL Clause

The GLOBAL clause specifies that a data-name is a global name. A global name is

available to every program contained within the program that describes it, even though

the contained programs do not contain a description of it.

Usage Considerations:

•

Global Name Can be Used in Contained Programs

A statement in a program contained directly or indirectly within a program that

describes a global name can reference that name without describing it again.

•

Only for Level-01 Items

The GLOBAL clause can be specified only in data description entries whose level

number is 01 in the File Section, Working-Storage Section, or Extended-Storage

Section.

•

Name Uniqueness Within a Single Program

In the Data Division of any one program, the data description entries for any two

data items for which the same data-name is specified must not include the

GLOBAL clause.

GLOBAL

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