RPG Tutorial: RPG Indicators

This page outlines the conditions under which various RPG indicators are set on or off and the times during the execution of each iteration of the RPG object module at which the indicators are set.

The condition of any indicator may be governed by SETON and SETOF operations included among the calculation specifications. The RPG object module will turn indicators on only if the conditions specified in the RPG specifications are met, that is, last record (LR), matching record (MR), and overflow (OV or OA, OB, ... OG). In addition, certain conditions may arise that will cause the RPG object module to set on the halt indicator HO. These conditions are listed below. Unless the HO indicator is turned off by a SETOF operation (entered in the calculation specifications), the object module will terminate before the next input record is read. The RPG object module will turn on indicator HO whenever the program:

Reads an input record that was not defined on the input specifications sheet (columns 21-41).
Finds an input record out of the predetermined sequence of card types specified by the entry in Sequence (columns 15-16) on the input specifications sheet.
Finds an input record out of sequence when the entry in Matching Fields (columns 61-62) on the input specifications sheet was used for sequence checking a single input file.
Encounters a chaining field in the chaining file that does not appear in the chained file during random processing of multiple input files.
Does not find the record key that designates the lower limit (obtained from the Record Address File) during sequential processing between limits of an indexed-sequential file.
Finds a wrong length record during processing of an indexed-sequential file.
Finds an invalid length record (zero or too long) during random processing by record identification of a file residing on a disk device.
Finds a difference between the key length of a record in an indexed-sequential file and the length as specified in Length of Record Address Field (columns 29-30) on the file description specifications sheet during processing with Record Address File support (random or between limits).
Finds a difference between the key length in the chained indexed-sequential file and the length as specified (columns 44-51) on the input specifications sheet during chaining of multiple input files.
Encounters a disk device error during sequential or random processing of an indexed-sequential file.
Does not find keys in a directly organized file when the entry in Record Address Type (column 31) on the file description specifications sheet specified processing by key.
Does not find a record with the specified key during random processing of an indexed-sequential file.
Encounters an irrecoverable input-output error during processing of a sequential file.

RPG Indicator Chart

Indicators	Where Specified	Where Used	Turned On	Turned Off	Notes
Resulting Indicator 00	Internal	Output Indicators on Output Specifications (columns 24-25, 27-28, 30-31)	This Indicator is always ON	Can never be turned OFF
Resulting Indicators (01 - 99)	Input Specifications (columns 19-20)	Indicators on Calculation Specifications (columns 10-11, 13-14, 16-17) Output Indicators on Output Specifications (columns 24-25, 27-28, 30-31)	When specified record type has been read and is ready for processing	Before the first record is read on the next processing cycle	Turning OFF and ON can also be accomplished by using SETON and SETOF operation codes
Resulting Indicators (01 - 99)	Calculation Specifications (columns 54-55, 56-57, 58-59)	Same as above	Whenever the specified field status condition is satisfied	The next time that this field status is to be tested	Same as above
Field Indicators (01 - 99)	Input Specifications (columns 65-66, 67-68, 69-70)	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above	Same as above
Halt Indicators (H0 - H9)	Input Specifications (columns 65-66, 67-68, 69-70) Calculation Specifications (columns 54-55, 56-57, 58-59)	Same as above	Same as above H0 is automatically turned on for the conditions listed in the text above	Can only be turned OFF by SETOF operation code (see note at right)	If these indicators remain ON, the object program will terminate before reading the next record
LR	Internal	Same as above and Calculation Specifications (columns 7-8)	After processing the last record of the last file		All Control Level Indicators (L1 - L9) are also turned ON when the LR is turned ON
Control Level Indicators (L1 - L9)	Input Specifications (columns 59-60)	Same as above and Calculation Specifications (columns 7-8)	When the value in a control field changes. All indicators of the lower levels are also turned ON	Before the first record is read on the next processing cycle	Turning OFF and ON can be accomplished by using SETON and SETOF operation codes
L0	Internal	Indicators on Calculations Specifications (columns 10-11, 13-14, 16-17) Output Indicators on Output Specifications (columns 24-25, 27-28, 30-31)	This indicator is always ON	Can never be turned OFF
MR	Internal	Same as above	When multiple input files and the matching fields specification are used, this indicator is turned ON if a secondary file record matches the primary file record	Before the first record is read on the next processing cycle
Overflow Indicators (OA, OB, OC, OD, OE, OF, OG, OV)	File Description (columns 33-34)	Same as above	One line after channel 12 of the carriage control tape is sensed	After the detail and heading records are written	These indicators remain ON for one complete processing cycle
1P	Internal	Output Indicators on Output Secifications (columns 24-25, 27-28, 30-31)	This indicator is ON at the beginning of processing before any records are read	Before the first record is read	This indicator is used to govern printing of the first page of the report

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This page was last updated on January 17, 2015.