ILE COBOL Language Reference

Access Modes

Access mode is a COBOL term that defines the manner in which data in a logical or physical file is to be processed. The three access modes are sequential, random, and dynamic.

Sequential-Access Mode

Allows reading and writing records of a file in a serial manner; the order of reference is determined by the position of a record in the file.

Random-Access Mode

Allows reading and writing records in a programmer-specified manner; the control of successive references to the file is expressed by specifically defined keys supplied by the user.

Dynamic-Access Mode

Allows a specific input-output request to determine the access mode. Therefore, records may be processed sequentially and/or randomly.


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