COBOL E35 user exit: changing records

The EXITCK option affects the way DFSORT interprets certain return codes from user exit E35. To avoid ambiguity, this section assumes that the IBM default, EXITCK=STRONG, was selected at your site. For complete information about E35 return codes in various situations with EXITCK=STRONG and EXITCK=WEAK, see E15/E35 return codes and EXITCK.

DFSORT enters the E35 user exit routine each time it prepares to place a record in the output area.

See Figure 1 for logic flow details.

Some uses for the E35 user exit are:

Adding records for output data sets
Omitting records for output data sets
Changing records for output data sets

When DFSORT indicates the end of the data set (record flags field set to 8), you must set RETURN-CODE to 8 (unless you are inserting records after the end of the data set); otherwise, DFSORT continues to enter E35.

Note:

If both E15 and E35 user exits are used, they must be in the same version of COBOL.
If you use the E35 user exit to dispose of all your output records, you can omit the SORTOUT DD statement.
If you omit the SORTOUT DD statement and you do not specify any OUTFIL data sets, your E35 user exit routine must dispose of each output record and return to DFSORT with a return code of 4. When DFSORT returns to your routine after you have disposed of the last record, return to DFSORT with a return code of 8 to indicate "do not return."
You cannot use dynamic binding or link-editing with a COBOL E35 user exit.