An overflow indicator (OA through OG, OV) is set on when the last line
on a page has been printed or passed. An overflow indicator can be used to
specify the lines to be printed on the next page. Overflow indicators can
be specified only for program-described PRINTER files and are used primarily
to condition the printing of heading lines. An overflow indicator is specified
using the keyword OFLIND on the file description specifications and can be
used to condition operations in the calculation specifications (positions
9 through 11) and output specifications (positions 21 through 29). If an overflow
indicator is not specified, the compiler assigns the first unused overflow
indicator to the PRINTER file. Overflow indicators can also be specified as
resulting indicators on the calculation specifications (positions 71 through
76).
The compiler sets on an overflow indicator only the first time an overflow
condition occurs on a page. An overflow condition exists whenever one of the
following occurs:
- A line is printed past the overflow line.
- The overflow line is passed during a space operation.
- The overflow line is passed during a skip operation.
Table 1 shows the results of the presence or absence of
an overflow indicator on the file description and output specifications.
The following considerations apply to overflow indicators used on the output
specifications:
- Spacing past the overflow line sets the overflow indicator on.
- Skipping past the overflow line to any line on the same page sets the
overflow indicator on.
- Skipping past the overflow line to any line on the new page does not set
the overflow indicator on unless a skip-to is specified past the specified
overflow line.
- A skip to a new page specified on a line not conditioned by an overflow
indicator sets the overflow indicator off after the forms advance to a new
page.
- If you specify a skip to a new line and the printer is currently on that
line, a skip does not occur. The overflow indicator is set to off, unless
the line is past the overflow line.
- When an OR line is specified for an output print record, the space and
skip entries of the preceding line are used. If they differ from the preceding
line, enter space and skip entries on the OR line.
- Control level indicators can be used with an overflow indicator so that
each page contains information from only one control group. See Figure 1.
- For conditioning an overflow line, an overflow indicator can appear in
either an AND or an OR relationship. For an AND relationship, the overflow
indicator must appear on the main specification line for that line to be considered
an overflow line. For an OR relationship, the overflow indicator can be specified
on either the main specification line or the OR line. Only one overflow indicator
can be associated with one group of output indicators. For an OR relationship,
only the conditioning indicators on the specification line where an overflow
indicator is specified is used for the conditioning of the overflow line.
- If an overflow indicator is used on an AND line, the line is not an overflow line. In this case, the overflow indicator is treated
like any other output indicator.
- When the overflow indicator is used in an AND relationship with a record
identifying indicator, unusual results are often obtained because the record
type might not be the one read when overflow occurred. Therefore, the record
identifying indicator is not on, and all lines conditioned by both overflow
and record identifying indicators do not print.
- An overflow indicator conditions an exception line (E in position 17),
and conditions fields within the exception record.
Table 1. Results of the Presence or Absence of an Overflow
Indicator| File Description Specifications Positions
44-80 |
Output Specifications Positions 21-29 |
Action |
| No entry |
No entry |
First unused overflow indicator used to condition
skip to next page at overflow. |
| No entry |
Entry |
Error at compile time; overflow indicator
dropped from output specifications. First unused overflow indicator used to
condition skip to next page at overflow. |
| OFLIND (indicator) |
No entry |
Continuous printing; no overflow recognized. |
| OFLIND (indicator) |
Entry |
Processes normal overflow. |