Requesting fixed-length 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:

• Use the RECORD CONTAINS integer clause (format-1 RECORD clause) to indicate the length of the record in bytes.

  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.

• Omit the RECORD CONTAINS integer clause, but code the same fixed size and no OCCURS DEPENDING ON clause for all level-01 record description entries associated with the file. This fixed size is the record length.

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 z/OS® UNIX file system are never blocked.