Fixed-length records are in format F. Use RECORDING MODE F to explicitly request this format.
You can omit the RECORDING MODE clause. The compiler determines the recording mode to be F if the length of the largest level-01 record associated with the file is not greater than the block size coded in the BLOCK CONTAINS clause, and you take one of the following actions:
When you use this clause, the file is always fixed format with record length integer even if there are multiple level-01 record description entries with different lengths associated with the file.
In an unblocked format-F file, the logical record is the same as the block.
In a blocked format-F file, the number of logical records in a block (the blocking factor) is constant for every block in the file except the last block, which might be shorter.
Files in the HFS are never blocked.
related concepts
Logical records
related tasks
Requesting variable-length format
Requesting spanned format
Requesting undefined format
Establishing record formats
related references
Layout of format-F records