ILE COBOL Language Reference


REDEFINES Clause

The REDEFINES clause allows you to use different data description entries to describe the same computer storage area.

REDEFINES Clause - Format
 
>>-level-number--+-------------+--REDEFINES--data-name-2-------><
                 +-data-name-1-+
                 '-FILLER------'
 
 

When specified, the REDEFINES clause must be the first entry following data-name-1 or FILLER. If data-name-1 or FILLER is not specified, the REDEFINES clause must be the first entry following the level-number, and the data item being described is treated as though FILLER has been specified.

The level-numbers of data-name-1 and data-name-2 must be identical, and must not be level 66 or level 88.

data-name-1/FILLER
Identifies an alternate description for the same area, and is the redefining item or the REDEFINES subject.
data-name-2
Is the redefined item or the REDEFINES object. Contrast it with data-name-1, which is the REDEFINES clause subject.

+-------------------------------IBM Extension--------------------------------+

Both data-name-1 and data-name-2 can specify a pointer, procedure-pointer, external or internal floating-point data item, DBCS, national, date, time, or timestamp item.

+----------------------------End of IBM Extension----------------------------+

The following rules apply when coding the REDEFINES clause.

When more than one level-01 entry is written subordinate to an FD entry (and the level-01 entry is not a type-name), a condition known as implicit redefinition occurs. That is, the second level-01 entry implicitly redefines the storage allotted for the first entry. In such level-01 entries, the REDEFINES clause and TYPE clause must not be specified. In addition, the TYPE clause must not be specified in any items subordinate to any of the level-01 entries.

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