Specify record formats in a logical file in DDS

If there is more than one record format specified in a logical file, you must specify the PFILE keyword for each record format.

There are three ways to specify the fields in a record format:

Specify the record format name and the PFILE keyword.
Specify the record format name, the PFILE or JFILE keyword, and at least one individual field.
Specify the record format name, the PFILE keyword, and the FORMAT keyword.

The Simple and multiple format logical files in DDS topic illustrates the three ways to specify fields.

For each of the three ways to specify fields in a record format, you can have one of the following access path specifications:

Specify no key fields (arrival sequence access path).
You cannot specify select/omit fields unless you specify the DYNSLT keyword. You can specify only one record format with one physical file on the PFILE keyword for the logical file.
Specify one or more key fields (keyed sequence access path).
If you specify more than one record format in the logical file, each record format must have at least one key field specified. You can specify select/omit fields for any of the record formats in the file.
Specify the REFACCPTH keyword (keyed sequence access path).
The access path information from another physical or logical file is copied into the file that you are defining.

The maximum number of fields in a record format is 8000. If any of the fields in the record format are date, time, timestamp, variable length, or allows the null value, then the actual maximum number of fields can be less than 8000. The maximum number of fields can vary depending on the number of fields and combinations of fields that occur within the record format. The maximum number of bytes in a record format is 32 766 if variable length fields are not included and 32 740 if variable length fields are included.