LIMIT

LIMIT n       

This document covers the following topics:

Related Statements: ACCEPT/REJECT | AT BREAK | AT START OF DATA | AT END OF DATA | BACKOUT TRANSACTION | BEFORE BREAK PROCESSING | DELETE | END TRANSACTION | FIND | GET | GET SAME | GET TRANSACTION | HISTOGRAM | PASSW | PERFORM BREAK PROCESSING | READ | RETRY | STORE | UPDATE

Belongs to Function Group: Database Access and Update

LIMIT Usage

The LIMIT statement is used to limit the number of iterations of a processing loop initiated with a FIND, READ, or HISTOGRAM statement.

The limit remains in effect for all subsequent processing loops in the program until it is overridden by another LIMIT statement.

The LIMIT statement does not apply to individual statements in which a limit is explicitly specified (for example, FIND (n) ...).

If the limit is reached, processing stops and a message is displayed; see also the session parameter LE which determines the reaction when the limit for the processing loop is exceeded.

If no LIMIT statement is specified, the default global limit defined with the Natural profile parameter LT during Natural installation will be used.

Record Counting

To determine whether a processing loop has reached the limit, each record read in the loop is counted against the limit. If the processing loop has reached the limit, the following will apply:

  • A record that is rejected because of criteria specified in a FIND or READ statement WHERE clause is not counted against the limit.

  • A record that is rejected as a result of an ACCEPT/REJECT statement is counted against the limit.

LIMIT Syntax Description

Syntax Element Description
LIMIT n
Limit Specification:

The limit n must be specified as a numeric constant in the range from 0 - 4294967295 (leading zeros are optional).

The processing loop is not entered if the limit is set to zero.

LIMIT Examples

Example 1 - LIMIT Statement

** Example 'LMTEX1': LIMIT                                              
************************************************************************
DEFINE DATA LOCAL                                                       
1 EMPLOY-VIEW VIEW OF EMPLOYEES                                         
  2 PERSONNEL-ID                                                        
  2 NAME                                                                
  2 CITY                                                                
END-DEFINE                                                              
*                                                                       
LIMIT 4                                                           
*                                                                       
READ EMPLOY-VIEW BY NAME STARTING FROM 'BAKER'                          
  DISPLAY NOTITLE                                                       
          NAME PERSONNEL-ID CITY *COUNTER                               
END-READ                                                                
*                                                                       
END

Output of Program LMTEX1:

        NAME         PERSONNEL         CITY            CNT     
                        ID                                     
-------------------- --------- -------------------- -----------
                                                               
BAKER                20016700  OAK BROOK                      1
BAKER                30008042  DERBY                          2
BALBIN               60000110  BARCELONA                      3
BALL                 30021845  DERBY                          4

Example 2 - LIMIT Statement (Valid for Two Database Loops)

** Example 'LMTEX2': LIMIT (valid for two database loops)               
************************************************************************
DEFINE DATA LOCAL                                                       
1 EMPLOY-VIEW VIEW OF EMPLOYEES                                         
  2 NAME                                                                
END-DEFINE                                                              
*                                                                       
LIMIT 3                                                          
*                                                                       
FIND EMPLOY-VIEW WITH NAME > 'A'                                        
  READ EMPLOY-VIEW BY NAME STARTING FROM 'BAKER'                        
    DISPLAY NOTITLE 'CNT(0100)' *COUNTER(0100)                          
                    'CNT(0110)' *COUNTER(0110)                          
  END-READ                                                              
END-FIND                                                                
*                                                                       
END

Output of Program LMTEX2:

 CNT(0100)   CNT(0110) 
----------- -----------
                       
          1           1
          1           2
          1           3
          2           1
          2           2
          2           3
          3           1
          3           2
          3           3