Defining Local Data

Specify the name of the local data area (LDA) to be referenced.

An LDA is created with the source editor. It contains predefined data elements which can be included in the DEFINE DATA LOCAL statement.

You may reference more than one data area; in that case you have to repeat the reserved words LOCAL and USING, for example:

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
  LOCAL USING DATX_L
  LOCAL USING DATX_P

  ...
END-DEFINE ;

For further information, see also Defining Fields in a Separate Data Area and Local Data Area, Example 2 in the Programming Guide.

Specify the name of a parameter data area (PDA).

Note:
A data area referenced with DEFINE DATA LOCAL may also be a parameter data area (PDA). By using a PDA as an LDA you can avoid the extra effort of creating an LDA that has the same structure as the PDA.

A PDA is created with the source editor. It contains predefined data elements which can be included in the DEFINE DATA LOCAL statement.

For further information, see Parameter Data Area in the Programming Guide.

For information on how to define elements or fields within the statement itself, that is, without using an LDA or PDA, see the section Local Data Definition below.

The Natural reserved word END-DEFINE must be used to end the DEFINE DATA statement.

Level number is a 1- or 2-digit number in the range from 01 to 99 (the leading zero is optional) used in conjunction with field grouping. Fields assigned a level number of 02 or greater are considered to be a part of the immediately preceding group which has been assigned a lower level number.

The definition of a group enables reference to a series of fields (may also be only 1 field) by using the group name. With certain statements (CALL, CALLNAT, RESET, WRITE, etc.), you may specify the group name as a shortcut to reference the fields contained in the group.

A group may consist of other groups. When assigning the level numbers for a group, no level numbers may be skipped.

A view-definition must always be defined at Level 1.

The name of a group. The name must adhere to the rules for defining a Natural variable name.

See also the following sections:

• Naming Conventions for User-Defined Variables in Using Natural.

• Qualifying Data Structures in the Programming Guide.

With an array-definition, you define the lower and upper bounds of dimensions in an array-definition.

See Array Dimension Definition.

A variable-definition is used to define a single field/variable that may be single-valued (scalar) or multi-valued (array).

See Variable Definition.

A view-definition is used to define a view as derived from a data definition module (DDM).

See View Definition.

A redefinition may be used to redefine a group, a view, a DDM field or a single field/variable (that is a scalar or an array).

See Redefinition.