RETURN statement

Remarks#

The RETURN statement controls when data is sent to the internal COBOL sort algorithm writer, as part of an OUTPUT PROCEDURE. Post sort data can be transformed under programmer control before being returned and written to the output file by the sort algorithm.

RETURN a record to SORT OUTPUT PROCEDURE

This is a seedwork sample. The SORT OUTPUT PROCEDURE could manipulate the sorted records before they are returned to the write portion of the internal COBOL sort algorithm. In this case, no transformation is done, work-rec is directly moved to out-rec.

GCobol >>SOURCE FORMAT IS FIXED
      ******************************************************************
      * Purpose:   A GnuCOBOL SORT verb example
      * Tectonics: cobc -x sorting.cob
      *     ./sorting <input >output
      *   or simply
      *     ./sorting
      *   for keyboard and screen demos
      ******************************************************************
       identification division.
       program-id. sorting.

       environment division.
       configuration section.
      * Set up a sort order where lower and upper case stay together
       special-names.
           alphabet mixed is " aAbBcCdDeEfFgGhHiIjJkKlLmMnNoOpPqQrRsStTu
      -"UvVwWxXyYzZ0123456789".

       input-output section.
       file-control.
           select sort-in
               assign keyboard
               organization is line sequential.
           select sort-out
               assign display
               organization is line sequential.
           select sort-work
               assign "sortwork".

       data division.
       file section.
       fd sort-in.
          01 in-rec        pic x(255).
       fd sort-out.
          01 out-rec       pic x(255).
       sd sort-work.
          01 work-rec      pic x(255).

       working-storage section.
       01 loop-flag        pic x value low-value.

       procedure division.
       sort sort-work
           on descending key work-rec
           collating sequence is mixed
           input procedure is sort-reader
           output procedure is sort-writer.

       display sort-return.
       goback.

      ******************************************************************
       sort-reader.
       move low-value to loop-flag
       open input sort-in
       read sort-in
           at end move high-value to loop-flag
       end-read
       perform
           until loop-flag = high-value
               move in-rec to work-rec
               release work-rec
               read sort-in
                   at end move high-value to loop-flag
               end-read
       end-perform
       close sort-in
       .

      ******************************************************************
       sort-writer.
       move low-value to loop-flag
       open output sort-out
       return sort-work
           at end move high-value to loop-flag
       end-return
       perform
           until loop-flag = high-value
               move work-rec to out-rec
               write out-rec end-write
               RETURN sort-work
                   at end move high-value to loop-flag
               end-return
       end-perform
       close sort-out
       .

       exit program.
       end program sorting.