ILE COBOL Language Reference


START Statement

The START statement provides a means of positioning within an indexed or relative file for subsequent sequential record retrieval. This positioning is achieved by comparing the key values of records in the file with the value you place in the RECORD KEY portion of a file's record area (for an indexed file), or in the RELATIVE KEY data item (for a relative file) prior to execution of the START statement.

Note:
When the START statement is executed, the associated indexed or relative file must be open in INPUT or I-O mode.
START Statement - Format
 
>>-START--file-name-1--+------------------------+--------------->
                       |                   (1)  |
                       '-+------+--NO LOCK------'
                         '-WITH-'
 
>--+----------------------------------------------------------------+-->
   '-KEY--+----+--+-EQUAL--+----+-----------------------+--| data |-'
          '-IS-'  |        '-TO-'                       |
                  +-=-----------------------------------+
                  +-GREATER--+------+-------------------+
                  |          '-THAN-'                   |
                  +->-----------------------------------+
                  +-NOT LESS--+------+------------------+
                  |           '-THAN-'                  |
                  +-NOT <-------------------------------+
                  +-GREATER--+------+--OR EQUAL--+----+-+
                  |          '-THAN-'            '-TO-' |
                  '->=----------------------------------'
 
>--+-------------------------------------------+---------------->
   |        (1) (2)                            |
   '-FORMAT-----------+----+--+-identifier-1-+-'
                      '-IS-'  '-literal-1----'
 
>--+-----------------------------------------+------------------>
   |              (1)                        |
   '-NULL-KEY-MAP-------+----+--identifier-2-'
                        '-IS-'
 
>--+------------------------------------------+----------------->
   '-INVALID--+-----+--imperative-statement-1-'
              '-KEY-'
 
>--+----------------------------------------------+------------->
   '-NOT INVALID--+-----+--imperative-statement-2-'
                  '-KEY-'
 
>--+-----------+-----------------------------------------------><
   '-END-START-'
 
data:
 
                              (1)
|--+-EXTERNALLY-DESCRIBED-KEY------+----------------------------|
   | .-------------.               |
   | V             |               |
   '---data-name-1-+---------------'
 
 

Notes:

  1. IBM Extension

  2. Applies only to indexed files on DATABASE devices


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