Using Overflow Indicators in Program-Described Files

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.