Processing line-sequential files
Line-sequential files reside in the z/OS® UNIX file system and can contain both
printable characters and control characters as data. Each record
ends with an EBCDIC newline character (X'15'), which
is not included in the record length.
About this task
Because line-sequential files are sequential, records
are placed one after another according to entry order. Your program
can process these files only sequentially, retrieving (with the READ statement)
records in the same order as they are in the file. A new record is
placed after the preceding record.
To process line-sequential files in a program, code COBOL language statements that:
- Identify and describe the files in the
ENVIRONMENT DIVISIONand theDATA DIVISION - Process the records in the files in the
PROCEDURE DIVISION
After you have created a record, you cannot change its length or its position in the file, and you cannot delete it.
Related tasks
Defining line-sequential files and records in COBOL
Allocating line-sequential files
Coding input-output statements for line-sequential files
Handling errors in line-sequential files
UNIX System Services User's Guide
Defining line-sequential files and records in COBOL
Allocating line-sequential files
Coding input-output statements for line-sequential files
Handling errors in line-sequential files
UNIX System Services User's Guide