LABEL RECORDS clause

Function

The LABEL RECORDS clause specifies whether labels are present, and identifies them if they are.

Format 1 for sequential file organization

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LABEL {RECORD | RECORDS} {IS | ARE} {OMITTED | STANDARD | {data-name-1}...}

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Format 2 for relative ad indexed file organization

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LABEL {RECORD | RECORDS} {IS | ARE} STANDARD

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Syntax rules

1. For data-name-1, record description entries must be present for the file concerned. data-name-1... must not appear as operands in the DATA RECORDS clause of this file.

2. The OMITTED phrase specifies that there are either no unique labels for this file, or the existing labels are non-standard, and the user does not wish to use a USE procedure for label processing (e.g. he may want to process the labels as records).

3. The STANDARD phrase specifies that labels are present for the file and that these labels are in accordance with system conventions (see the "Introductory Guide to DMS" [9]).

4. When data-name-1 is specified, this indicates either the presence of user labels in addition to standard labels, or the presence of nonstandard labels. data-name-1 defines the name of a user label record.

   When processing user labels, data-name-1 may be defined for any files except unit-record files.

General rules

1. OMITTED may not be specified for files which are assigned with "ASSIGN TO literal".

2. For the format of system labels, see the "Introductory Guide to DMS" [9].

3. User labels are formatted as follows:

   1. Each user label is 80 bytes long.

   2. Positions 1-3 of a user header label must contain the characters UHL.

   3. Positions 1-3 of a user trailer label must contain the characters UTL.

   4. Position 4 shows the relative location of the label in a sequence of header or trailer labels; in other words, this position must contain a digit from 1 to 9. If only one label (UHL and/or UTL) is present, position 4 must contain the character "1".

   5. Positions 5-80 are formatted according to user specifications.

   For further details, see the "Introductory Guide to DMS" [9].

4. User header labels follow standard file header labels of the system, however, they precede the first record.

5. User trailer labels follow standard end-of-file labels of the system.

6. Nonstandard labels can be from 1 to 4095 bytes long. Their format and contents are defined by the user.

7. If data-name-1 is specified, then all Procedure Division references to the specified data-names or to items subordinate to these data-names must appear within user declaratives (USE procedures).

8. If the LABEL RECORDS clause refers to an external file, an equivalent LABEL RECORDS clause must be specified in all programs that describe this external file.