Re: ASA when using cobol

On 26 Sep 2004 14:48:51 -0700, partoche@caramail.com (diesmo) wrote:

>Hello!
>
>I found this sentence in a cobol program:
>   SELECT file1 ASSIGN TO file2 ASA.
>
>ASA means, i think, that the file uses the ASA records delimiter.
>
>Is this keyword and syntax construction part of
>   - 1) the cobol standard syntax,
>   - 2) or part of a specific dialect (only MFocus for example ?),
>   - 3) or is it not cobol (Pro*COBOL ? ), and the file has to be
>preprocessed : the compiler should just remember that the file uses
>ASA ?
>
>Are there any other "ASA"-like constructions ?
>If someone knows a link with documentation on these aspects of using
>Files in Cobol...

Since you mentioned Micro Focus and Pro*Cobol, it sounds like you're
on a server or PC. ASA is a mainframe format, not supported on other
platforms. Try replacing ASA with ORGANIZATION IS LINE SEQUENTIAL.

Format of flat files is not determined by Cobol, it is determined by
the operating system and its tools such as sort and print spooler.
That's why people have repeatedly asked what platform you are using.
If you would answer, someone could help you without guessing.