The first (or only) key data item is the most significant. The order of significance of the keys is the order in which they are specified in the MERGE statement, without regard to their association with ASCENDING or DESCENDING phrases. The data items referenced by the specification of data-name-1 are the key data items that determine the order in which records are returned from the file referenced by file-name-1.The words ASCENDING and DESCENDING apply to each subsequent occurrence of data-name-1 until another word ASCENDING or DESCENDING is encountered.The MERGE statement merges all records contained in the files referenced by file-name-2 and file-name-3 and returns them to an output procedure, or to the file referenced by file-name-4, in an order determined by the ASCENDING and DESCENDING phrases and the values of the data items referenced by the specifications of data-name-1.The general rules applying to the MERGE statement are as follows: If the file referenced by file-name-4 contains fixed length records, the size of the records contained in the file referenced by file-name-1 must not be longer than the fixed record size specified for file-name-4. If the GIVING phrase is specified and the file referenced by file-name-4 contains variable-length records, the size of the records contained in the file referenced by file-name-1 must not be shorter than the shortest record nor longer than the longest record size specified for file-name-4. If the file referenced by file-name-1 contains fixed-length records, the size of the records contained in the files referenced by file-name-2 and file-name-3 must not be longer than the longest record described for file-name-1. If the file referenced by file-name-1 contains variable-length records, the size of the records contained in the files referenced by file-name-2 and file-name-3 must not be shorter than the shortest record nor longer than the longest record described for file-name-1. No pair of file-names in a MERGE statement may be specified in the same SAME AREA, SAME RECORD AREA, SAME SORT AREA or SAME SORT-MERGE AREA clause.(See the I-O-CONTROL paragraph.) The words THRU and THROUGH are synonymous. No two files specified in any one MERGE statement may reside on the same multiple file reel (or reels).įile-names must not be repeated within the MERGE statement. The data item referenced by data-name-1 must not be a group item that contains a variable-occurrence data item.įile-name-2, file-name-3, and file-name-4 must be described in a file description entry in the Data Division. data-name-1 must reference either a record-name associated with file-name-1or a data item in a record associated with file-name-1.If more than one record description entry is associated with file-name-1, the data items referenced by different specifications of data-name-1 need not all be associated with the same record description entry. The MERGE statement combines two or more identically sequenced files on a set of specified keys, and during the process makes records available, in merged order, to an output procedure or to an output file.Ī MERGE statement may appear anywhere in the Procedure Division except in the declaratives portion.įile-name-1 must be described in a sort-merge file description entry in the Data Division.ĭata-name-1 may be qualified.

Indesign data merge next record