FILE SECTION:

The FILE SECTION must contain a file description entry followed by one or more record description entries for each of the files used in a program. The file description entry must begin with the level indicator FD followed by the file name. This file name must be identical with the file name specified in the select clause of the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION. A file description entry may have several clauses after the file name. Format for a file description entry:

FD file-name LABEL RECORDS ARE STANDARD

RECORD IS OMITTED

The label indicator FD must being in are A and the rest of the file description entry must appear only in area B.

The record description entries that follow the file description entry, should describe the record types in the file. If different types of records appear in the same file, there should be one record description entry for each type of record.

A record description entry is a 01 level group item along with all its subdivisions. The data name that appears at level 01 is considered to be the record name. Even when the record should be defined as a elementary item (that is, the record is not subdivided into various fields), the record description entry must specify 01 as the level number.