To display the content of the Group definition section,
you must select a group call in the list of called Elements. A group is a
set of elementary Data Elements. In the Group Call section,
you indicate the name and label of the group, and other options to define:
occurs, sort and redefines. Don't forget to open the More dialog
box for more characteristics. You can display -G lines of the Segment from
the Group definition section.
Note: A Group Element is identified in the list by the number of
elementary Data Elements it contains. These Elements are listed after the
group element. A group may include other groups. All elementary Elements are
then counted to define the group. If a dictionary Data Element is used as
a group, its length is recalculated (sum of the lengths of the elementary
data elements), regardless of its dictionary format.
- Name
- Enter the code of the group. The code you enter here is free, but cannot
exceed six characters. You may change the group code or label at any moment,
after the group is created.
- Label
- Enter a label of the group you have created. The label you enter here
is free but cannot exceed 36 characters. You may change the group label at
any moment, after the group is created.
- Occurs
- Enter an occurs number in this field to generate an OCCURS COBOL clause.
The COBOL restrictions on the OCCURS clause also apply here. You can indicate
an occurs number on an elementary or a group Data Element or a Filler. The
occurs number is limited to 99. , it is pure numeric field.
- Sort key
- This field identifies all data elements that might be used as control
break sort keys, or as access keys to a file, a database or a Pactables table.
Note: It
is highly recommended to dedicate a Segment to only one type of use. Each
data element that may belong to a sort key must be referenced by a unique
alphabetic or numeric character. It is recommended to reference the indicators
by a series (1, 2, 3 ...). The actual sort sequence will be chosen at the
program level (on the Call of Data Structures (-CD) screen) by sequencing
the characters in the appropriate order.
Don't forget that the format
of key group data elements must have been entered in the Dictionary or at
the segment level.Value |
Comments |
U |
References the access key for a VisualAge Pacbase
table. This value must be indicated on the group data element if it is a group
key. |
S |
Indicates that the data element belongs to at least
one sub-system. |
Values |
Comments |
U |
References a unique key for an DL/1 database. |
M |
References a multiple key for an DL/1 database. |
1 to 9 |
Secondary index All other values designate a search
field. |
Values |
Comments |
0 to 9 |
AS400 physical file key. Relational databases |
V |
Variable length column |
Blank |
Fixed length column |
W |
For DB2 SQL, SQL/DS and ORACLE, generation of a variable
length column (VARCHAR). |
L |
For DB2 SQL, SQL/DS and ORACLE, generation of a LONG
VARCHAR. |
Note: Sort keys are not allowed on data elements redefining other
data elements.
- Redefines
- The Data Element containing this option redefines the Data Element of
the same COBOL level which precedes it in the Segment description. If a Data
Element which redefines another Data Element is contained in a group, it is
considered to be an elementary Data Element. It must be taken into account
in the calculation of the number of Data Elements contained in a group (except
for DL1 database Segments).
More
Click the More... button
to open a wizard in which you indicate the presence check values for the Segment
called in the Segment.
-G Lines
Click the -G Lines... button
to define -GC lines, -GE lines, and -GG lines for the Segment called
in the Segment.