E35 interface with COBOL

Each time your E35 user exit is called, DFSORT supplies the following fields:

Record flags
Record leaving DFSORT
Length of record leaving DFSORT (for variable-length records)
Length of user exit area
User Exit area.

When your E35 user exit returns to DFSORT, the E35 user exit provides to DFSORT some or all of the fields mentioned in the following. The first field is required; the others can be modified as appropriate.

RETURN-CODE (assigned by the user exit by setting the COBOL special register RETURN-CODE)
Return record
Length of return record (for variable-length records)
Length of user exit area
User exit area.

For more information on how these fields are used in a COBOL E35 user exit, see E35 LINKAGE SECTION fields for fixed-length and variable-length records.

Figure 1 details the interface to COBOL for the E35 user exit.

Figure 1. E35 Interface with COBOL