Appendix A. ILE COBOL Compiler Limits

The following table lists the compiler limits supported by the ILE COBOL compiler:

Table 1. ILE COBOL Compiler Limits
Language Element ILE COBOL Limit
General

Number of:
Files open at one time
Nesting levels in nested COPY
REPLACING operands in one COPY

 
virtually no limit (1)
virtually no limit (1)
virtually no limit (1)

Total length of literals virtually no limit (1)
Total storage available for VALUE clauses virtually no limit (1)

Number of characters to identify:
Library-name
Program-name
   program object
   ILE procedure
Text-name

 
10
 
10
250
10

Environment Division

Number of:
   SELECT file-names
   Alternate record keys in one file
   Contiguous DDS fields that can be
     used to form an alternate record key

 
virtually no limit (1)
253
 
156

Maximum number of buffers (areas) specified in the RESERVE clause

 
virtually no limit (1)

Length of:
RECORD KEY in one file
ALTERNATE RECORD KEY in one file

 
2 000 bytes
2 000 bytes

Data Division

Length of:
Working-Storage Section
group item
Linkage Section group item
Local-Storage Section
Elementary item

 
 
16 711 568 bytes
16 711 568 bytes
16 711 568 bytes
16 711 568 bytes

Maximum block size 32 767 bytes
Maximum record length 32 767 bytes

Number of:
FD file-names
OCCURS levels
Levels in data hierarchy
SD file-names

 
virtually no limit (1)
7
49
virtually no limit (1)

Number of:
Numeric-edited (data items)
  character positions
Picture character strings
Picture replications

 
 
127
90
16 711 568

OCCURS
Table size (fixed length)
Table size (variable length)
Table element size
Number of ASC/DESC KEY clauses
  in one table
Total length of ASC/DESC keys
  in one table
Index names (per table)
INDEXED BY clauses (per table)
Pointers in one table

 
16 711 568 bytes
16 711 568 bytes
16 711 568 bytes
 
virtually no limit (1)
 
virtually no limit (1)
virtually no limit (1)
1
virtually no limit (1)

Procedure Division

Number of:
GO TO procedure-name DEPENDING ON
nested IF statements
IF nesting levels
nested EVALUATE statements
CALL parameters
  to program object
  to ILE procedure
FUNCTION nesting levels limit
for intrinsic functions
SORT-MERGE input files
SORT-MERGE output files
SORT-MERGE keys
SEARCH ALL ... WHEN
  relation conditions
UNSTRING delimiters
INSPECT TALLYING identifiers
INSPECT REPLACING identifiers

 
virtually no limit (1)
virtually no limit (1)
virtually no limit (1)
virtually no limit (1)
 
255
400
 
123
32
32
2 000
 
virtually no limit (1)
virtually no limit (1)
virtually no limit (1)
virtually no limit (1)

Length of:
SORT-MERGE keys

 
2 000 bytes

Note:
  1. The limit is a very large number, depending on your hardware configuration. Most applications should not encounter it.