Rational Programming Patterns

Group definition

To display the content of this section, you must select a group call in the list of called elements. A group is a set of elementary Data Elements. In the Group definition section, you indicate the name and label of the group, and other options such as occurs, sort and redefines (optional). Click More for a complete definition of the group. You can also define or modify the -G lines of the group from this section.

You can call a group of Data Elements in a Segment, which is a set of Data Elements named elementary Data Elements. You can add up to 99 elementary Data Elements to a group, on nine different levels maximum. A group can include other groups. All elementary elements are then counted to define the group. A group can also include one or more Segments. Each Segment called in a group is considered as an elementary Data Element. The group Data Element can be defined at the repository level. If so, its length is automatically recalculated (sum of the lengths of the elementary Data Elements) regardless of its repository format. If the group is used as a key (sort key or access key), then the combined formats of the elementary Data Elements must still be compatible with the format you have indicated for the group. When you create a group, it does not contain any elementary Data Element, it is empty. You must add the Data Elements to the group then.

Name
Enter the code of the group. The code you enter here is free, but cannot exceed six characters. You can change the group code or label at any moment, after the group is created.
Label
Enter a label of the group you have created. The label you enter here is free but cannot exceed 36 characters. You can change the group label at any moment, after the group is created.
Occurs
Enter a number of occurrences in this field to generate an OCCURS COBOL clause. The COBOL restrictions on the OCCURS clause also apply here. You can indicate a number of occurrences on an elementary or a group Data Element or a filler. The number is limited to 99; it is pure numeric field.
Sort key
This field identifies all the Data Elements that can be used as control break sort keys, or as access keys to a file, a database or a Pactables Table.
Note: It is advised to dedicate a Segment to only one type of use. Each Data Element that can belong to a sort key must be referenced by a unique alphabetic or numeric character. It is advised to reference the indicators by a series (1, 2, 3 ...). The actual sort sequence is selected at the Program level (on the -CD Lines tab).
You must not forget that the format of key group Data Elements must have been entered in the repository or at the Segment level.
Table 1. Possible values of the sort key for Pactables
Value Comments
U References the access key for a Table. This value must be indicated on the group Data Element if it is a group key.
S Indicates that the Data Element belongs to at least one subsystem.
Table 2. Possible values of the sort key for DL/1 databases
Values Comments
U References a unique key for a DL/1 database.
M References a multiple key for a DL/1 database.
1 - 9 Secondary index All other values designate a search field.
Table 3. Possible values of the sort key for AS400 and relational databases
Values Comments
0 - 9 AS400 physical file key. relational databases
V Variable length column
Blank Fixed-length column
W For DB2 SQL, SQL/DS and ORACLE, generation of a variable length column (VARCHAR).
L For DB2 SQL, SQL/DS and ORACLE, generation of a LONG VARCHAR.
Note: Sort keys are not authorized on Data Elements redefining other Data Elements.
Redefines
The Data Element containing this option redefines the Data Element of the same COBOL level which precedes it in the Segment description. If a Data Element which redefines another Data Element is contained in a group, it is considered to be an elementary Data Element. It must be taken into account in the calculation of the number of Data Elements contained in a group (except for DL/1 database Segments).

More

Click More to open a wizard in which you indicate the presence check values for the element called in the Segment.

-G Lines

Click -G Lines to define -GC lines for the element called in the Segment.


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