Use of START keyword

iknow · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 8:41 am Post subject: Use of START keyword

Hi All

I have a COBOL program in that they have used START keyword for comparison. Could anyone tell me what exactly START does.

Details of my program:

SELECT EMP ASSIGN TO MBREMP
ORGANIZATION IS INDEXED
ACCESS IS DYNAMIC
RECORD KEY IS EMP-KEY
FD EMP
LABEL RECORDS ARE STANDARD.
01 EMP-RECORD.
05 EMP-KEY PIC X(86).

ikumar · Active User Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 86

START keyword is used in case of skip-sequential processing...
In your code, it places the pointer, where the record key is greater than EMP-KEY in your EMP file. It just place the pointer there and you can start reading the records using READ NEXT/PREVIOUS commands.

iknow · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 12:50 pm Post subject: Re: Use of START keyword

Thanks ikumar. Now I got a clear understanding.