LA

FUNCTION

LA is a data declaration statement used to define a link name alias for a file declared in the script.

SYNTAX

LA    link-name, link-name-alias

NOTES

The link-name must be declared in an LN statement before it can be used in an LA data declaration.
The LA declaration enables the link-name-alias to be specified as a valid link-name in any command that uses a link.
A link-name-alias must be opened before it can be used for file input or output.
For each link alias declared in the script, a duplicate format with an additional set of matching data names is available to the script. To be accessed, these data names must be qualified by the link-name-alias rather than the format name. To qualify the data name, the link-name-alias must precede the data name and be delimited from the data name by a period.
Each link-name-alias provides independent access to the data file that is opened with the link. The link-name-alias can be opened and the file accessed without affecting the record pointer in the link-name.
The LOCK and UNLOCK commands used on a link-name or link-name-alias are invalid if the link-name-alias is open.

EXAMPLES

LA   4SCUSFL, CUSTMER

SEE ALSO

LN, OPEN