Easytrieve Identifiers

Identifiers Name Things

In Easytrieve syntax, identifiers are words that name objects: field names in FILE and DEFINE, labels on JOB and PROC statements, REPORT names, SCREEN names, and statement labels used with GOTO. They differ from keywords, which have fixed language meaning, and from literals, which are constant values in quotes or numeric form. The compiler resolves identifiers against symbol tables built from Library and activity declarations.

Field Name Rules

Field names may contain up to 128 characters from alphabetic A-Z, digits 0-9, and special characters except delimiters. The first character must be alphabetic, numeric, or national (#, @, $). The name cannot be all numeric—12345 alone is invalid because the compiler would confuse it with a numeric literal. At least one alphabetic or special character distinguishes field names from numbers.

Forbidden Characters in Identifiers

Identifiers cannot contain comma, single quote, left parenthesis, right parenthesis, or colon. These characters serve delimiter roles in qualification, literals, and parameter lists. If business terminology includes punctuation, translate to hyphens or abbreviations in field names: CUST-ID not CUST:ID as an unqualified name.

Uniqueness and Qualification

All working storage field names must be unique. All field names within one FILE definition must be unique. The same name may appear in two files or in both a file and working storage only when you qualify references: FILEA:FLD1, WORK:FLD1. The compiler uses qualification to choose the correct symbol. Unqualified duplicate definitions produce compile errors or ambiguous references depending on context.

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FILE FILEA FB(80 800)
  STATUS 1 1 A
 
FILE FILEB FB(80 800)
  STATUS 1 1 A
 
IF FILEA:STATUS EQ 'A'
   MOVE FILEB:STATUS TO WS-HOLD
END-IF

Label Identifiers

Labels identify PROGRAM, JOB, SCREEN, SORT, PROC, REPORT, and GOTO targets. Labels follow similar length and character rules but cannot consist entirely of numeric characters. proc-name. PROC combines label identifier with PROC keyword. Statement labels for GOTO may appear on their own line before executable statements inside an activity.

Identifiers vs Reserved Words

Reserved words are keywords you cannot use as field names—IF, JOB, REPORT, EXECUTE, and many system field names like SYSDATE. Non-reserved keywords may sometimes serve as field names in appropriate context, but using them harms readability. Prefer business-oriented names and check reserved lists when compile errors flag invalid field declarations.

Naming for Maintenance

• Prefix working storage with WS- or W- per shop standards.
• Use descriptive names over cryptic three-letter legacy unless matching copybooks.
• Align FILE field names with enterprise data dictionary when available.
• Keep REPORT names distinct from FILE names to avoid confusion in PRINT statements.
• Document label purpose when GOTO targets are not obvious from the name alone.

Migration and Renames

Upgrading to Easytrieve 11.6 function mode added reserved words such as EXECUTE, SET, and LOGICAL-RECORD. Legacy programs using those strings as field names fail until renamed. Plan identifier audits during migration: search source libraries for new reserved words and rename fields with consistent prefixes before mass recompile.

Common Identifier Mistakes

1. Defining duplicate unqualified field names in two FILE statements.
2. Using reserved word STATUS when a report PROC or system field conflicts.
3. All-numeric label attempted for GOTO target.
4. Embedding comma or quote inside a field name from copy-paste data dictionary errors.
5. Referencing EMPNO without qualification when two files both define EMPNO.

Explain It Like I'm Five

Identifiers are name tags on boxes and doors in a warehouse. Each box gets one clear name so workers find the right parts. If two boxes had the same name, you would add the aisle name before the box name— that is qualification. Some names are reserved for fire exits and you cannot use those for boxes—that is reserved words. Names cannot include punctuation that the warehouse uses for signs, like commas and colons in the wrong places.

Exercises

1. Write qualified references for STATUS in two different files.
2. Explain why 999 alone is not a valid field name.
3. List four characters forbidden inside identifiers.
4. Rename a field EXECUTE to avoid 11.6 reserved word conflict.
5. Propose naming standards for working storage versus FILE fields.