Use host structure arrays in COBOL applications that use SQL

A host structure array is a named set of host variables that is defined in the program's Data Division and has an OCCURS clause.

Host structure arrays have a maximum of two levels, even though the host structure can occur within a multiple level structure. A varying-length string requires another level, level 49. A host structure array name can be a group name whose subordinate levels name basic data items.

In these examples, the following are true:

All members in B-ARRAY must be valid.
B-ARRAY cannot be qualified.
B-ARRAY can only be used on the blocked form of the FETCH and INSERT statements.
B-ARRAY is the name of an array of host structures containing items C1-VAR and C2-VAR.
The SYNCHRONIZED attribute must not be specified.
C1-VAR and C2-VAR are not valid host variables in any SQL statement. A structure cannot contain an intermediate level structure.

01  A-STRUCT.
    02 B-ARRAY OCCURS 10 TIMES.
       03 C1-VAR PIC X(20).
       03 C2-VAR PIC S9(4).

To retrieve 10 rows from the CORPDATA.DEPARTMENT table, use the following example:

01  TABLE-1.
    02 DEPT OCCURS 10 TIMES.
       05 DEPTNO PIC X(3).
       05 DEPTNAME.
          49 DEPTNAME-LEN PIC S9(4) BINARY.
          49 DEPTNAME-TEXT PIC X(29).
    	 05 MGRNO PIC X(6).
    	 05 ADMRDEPT PIC X(3).
01  TABLE-2.
    02 IND-ARRAY OCCURS 10 TIMES.
       05 INDS PIC S9(4) BINARY OCCURS 4 TIMES.
....
EXEC SQL
DECLARE C1 CURSOR FOR
   SELECT *
   FROM CORPDATA.DEPARTMENT
END-EXEC.
....
EXEC SQL
   FETCH C1 FOR 10 ROWS INTO :DEPT :IND-ARRAY
END-EXEC.