Qualification

A name can be made unique if it exists within a hierarchy of names, and the name can be identified by specifying one or more higher-level names in the hierarchy. The higher-level names are called qualifiers, and the process by which such names are made unique is called qualification.

Qualification is specified by placing one or more phrases after a user-specified name, with each phrase made up of the word IN or OF followed by a qualifier. (IN and OF are logically equivalent.)

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References to Data Division Names - Format 1

                       .-------------------------.   
                       V                         |   
>>-+-data-name-1----+----+---------------------+-+-------------->
   '-condition-name-'    '-+-IN-+--data-name-2-'     
                           '-OF-'                    

>--+---------------------+-------------------------------------><
   '-+-IN-+--file-name-1-'   
     '-OF-'                  

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References to Data Division Names - Format 2

>>-LINAGE-COUNTER--+---------------------+---------------------><
                   '-+-IN-+--file-name-2-'   
                     '-OF-'                  

In any hierarchy, the data name associated with the highest level must be unique, and cannot be qualified.

You must specify enough qualification to make the name unique; however, it may not be necessary to specify all the levels of the hierarchy. For example, if there is more than one file whose records contain the field EMPLOYEE-NO, but only one of the files has a record named MASTER-RECORD:
Related Information: