4.2.5 "COBOL Language Reference" IBM Library Server

4.2.5 ORGANIZATION Clause

The ORGANIZATION clause identifies the logical structure of the file. The logical structure is established at the time the file is created and cannot subsequently be changed.

You can find a discussion of the different ways in which data can be organized and of the different access methods that you can use to retrieve the data under "File Organization and Access Modes" in topic 4.2.8.1.

ORGANIZATION IS SEQUENTIAL (Format 1)

A predecessor-successor relationship among the records in the file is established by the order in which records are placed in the file when it is created or extended.

ORGANIZATION IS INDEXED (Format 2)

The position of each logical record in the file is determined by indexes created with the file and maintained by the system. The indexes are based on embedded keys within the file's records.

ORGANIZATION IS RELATIVE (Format 3)

The position of each logical record in the file is determined by its relative record number.

X ORGANIZATION IS LINE SEQUENTIAL (Format 4) (Workstation Only)

X Under AIX, OS/2, and Windows, a predecessor-successor relationship
X among the records in the file is established by the order in which
X records are placed in the file when it is created or extended. A
X record in a LINE SEQUENTIAL file can consist only of printable
X characters.

If you omit the ORGANIZATION clause, the compiler assumes ORGANIZATION IS SEQUENTIAL.

If the file connector referenced by file-name-1 in the SELECT clause is an external file connector, all file control entries in the run unit that reference this file connector must have the same organization.

Subtopics:

4.2.5.1 File Organization

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4.2.5 ORGANIZATION Clause

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