Associated Data Architecture

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This chapter describes High Level Assembler support for the associated data architecture. Associated data was previously known as assembler language program data. This support includes a general-use programming interface which lets you write programs to use the associated data records the High Level Assembler produces.

The associated data (ADATA) file contains language-dependent and language-independent records. Language-dependent records contain information that is relevant only to programs assembled by the High Level Assembler. Language-independent records contain information that is common to all programming languages that produce ADATA records, and includes information about the environment the program is assembled in. You use the ADATA assembler option to produce this file.

The ADATA file contains variable-length blocked records. The maximum record length is 32756 bytes, and the maximum block size is 32760 bytes.

The file contains records classified into different record types. Each type of record provides information about the assembler language program being assembled. Each record consists of two parts:

A 12-byte header section which has the same structure for all record types
A variable-length data section, which varies by record type

The header section contains:

The language code
The record code, which identifies the type of record
The associated data file architecture level
A continuation flag indicator
The record edition number
The length of data following

The records written to the ADATA file are:

Job identification: This record provides information about the assembly job, and its environment, including the names of primary input files.
ADATA identification: This record contains the Universal Time, and the Coded Character Set used by the assembler.
ADATA compilation-unit (Start): This record contains the assembly start time.
ADATA compilation-unit (End): This record contains the assembly stop time, and the number of ADATA records written.
Output file information: This record provides information about the data sets the assembler produces.
Options file information: This record provides information about the external options file the assembler read, if provided
Options: This record contains the assembler options specified for the assembly.
External Symbol Dictionary (ESD): This record describes all the control sections, including DSECTs, defined in the program.
Source analysis: This record contains the assembled source statements, with additional data describing the type and specific contents of the statement.
Source error: This record contains error message information the assembler produces after a source statement in error.
DC/DS: This record describes the constant or storage defined by a source program statement that contains a DC or DS instruction. If a source program statement contains a DC or DS instruction, then a DC/DS record is written following the Source record.
DC extension: This record describes the object code generated by a DC statement when the DC statement has repeating fields. This record is only created if the DC statement has a duplication factor greater than 1 and at least one of the operand values has a reference to the current location counter (*).
Machine instruction: This record describes the object code generated for a source program statement. If a source program statement causes machine instructions to be generated, then a Machine Instruction record is written following the Source record.
Relocation Dictionary (RLD): This record describes the relocation dictionary information that is included in the object module.
Symbol: This record describes a single symbol or literal defined in the program.
Ordinary symbol and literal cross-reference: This record describes references to a single symbol.
Macro and copy code source summary: This record describes the source of each macro and copy code member retrieved by the program.
Macro and copy code cross-reference: This record describes references to a single macro or copy code member.
USING map: This record describes all USING, DROP, PUSH USING, and POP USING statements in the program.
Statistics: This record describes the statistics about the assembly.
User-supplied information: This record contains data from the ADATA instruction.
Register cross-reference: This record describes references to a single General Purpose register.