Rational Developer for System z
Enterprise COBOL for z/OS, Version 4.1, Programming Guide


Requesting undefined format

Format-U records have undefined or unspecified characteristics. With format U, you can process blocks that do not meet format-F or format-V specifications.

When you use format-U files, each block of storage is one logical record. A read of a format-U file returns the entire block as a record. A write to a format-U file writes a record out as a block. The compiler determines the recording mode to be U only if you code RECORDING MODE U.

It is recommended that you not use format U to update or extend a file that was written with a different record format. If you use format U to update a file that was written with a different format, the RECFM value in the data-set label could be changed or the data set could contain records written in different formats.

The record length is determined in your program based on how you use the RECORD clause:

Format-U files and READ INTO: When you specify a READ INTO statement for a format-U file, the compiler generates a MOVE statement that uses the size of the record that it just read for that file. If the record just read does not correspond to the level-01 record description, you might not get the result that you expect. All other rules of the MOVE statement apply.


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