It depends on the version of COBOL in use. COBOL V4.2 and earlier default to BLOCK CONTAINS 1 if the phrase is not specified in the FD, which is why most sensible z/OS shop standards call for always using BLOCK CONTAINS 0. I can't speak for VM or VSE shop standards, I haven't worked in either of those environments for quite a long time.
COBOL V5+ have a new compiler option, BLOCK0, which changes the default to BLOCK CONTAINS 0, though the option is off by default for compatibility with earlier releases. HTH Peter -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Tim Hare Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2017 11:19 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Sort Question I know I am late to this, but I see no BLOCK CONTAINS 0 RECORDS in the COBOL. I'm not totally current on COBOL releases, but A) is that still required to use block size from the JCL B) is it even relevant in this instance - COBOL will use the block size value of the dataset that's input, yes? -- This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If the reader of the message is not the intended recipient or an authorized representative of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail and delete the message and any attachments from your system. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
