Operations staff searching SDSF for PAYROLL-REG-PROD need the first printed line to identify the report instantly. Auditors comparing department subtotals need column headers aligned above amount columns on every page. Headings in Easytrieve are declarative TITLE (and where supported, HEADING) statements inside REPORT subactivities—not DISPLAY statements you code per record in JOB logic. TITLE 01 might be the company name and report title; TITLE 02 the run date from a working storage field; TITLE 03 column headings EMPNO, NAME, GROSS. When PAGESIZE fills and the report writer ejects a page, headings typically repeat so page 7 is as self-explanatory as page 1. Control break NEWPAGE starts fresh pages that also carry titles so a new region does not begin with anonymous detail rows. TITLESKIP on REPORT separates the heading block from first detail line. Beginners hard-code headings in first LINE row and lose repetition on page two; veterans stack TITLE lines and tune TITLESKIP for professional spacing. This page covers TITLE numbering, literals versus fields, break header patterns, relationship to FOOTING, heading repetition with CONTROL NEWPAGE RENUM, and accessibility for downstream PDF or archive conversions from line printer output.
1234567REPORT PAY-RPT LINESIZE 132 PAGESIZE 60 TITLESKIP 2 TITLE 01 'ACME CORPORATION' TITLE 02 'PAYROLL REGISTER' TITLE 03 'RUN DATE' RUN-DATE ' PAGE' LINE 01 EMPNO EMPNAME DEPT GROSS CONTROL DEPT SUM GROSS
TITLE line-number orders heading rows. Items alternate literals in single quotes with field names. RUN-DATE is a working storage or system field populated in JOB START or from DATE function. Mixing literals and fields on one TITLE builds composite lines—run date left, page indicator right when page number field or function added on dedicated page-numbers tutorial path.
| TITLE row | Purpose | Example content |
|---|---|---|
| TITLE 01 | Organization or system identifier | ACME CORPORATION |
| TITLE 02 | Report name auditors search | PAYROLL REGISTER |
| TITLE 03 | Run context—date, time, environment | RUN DATE 2026-07-12 |
| TITLE 04 (optional) | Column header text | EMPNO NAME DEPT GROSS |
TITLESKIP inserts blank lines after the entire TITLE group before detail LINE begins. TITLESKIP 0 packs headings against detail—dense listings. TITLESKIP 2 matches formal ledger spacing. Coordinate with SKIP between detail groups and CONTROLSKIP after subtotals so vertical rhythm is consistent—headings should not feel cramped while detail rows breathe.
When report writer paginates, TITLE headings typically reappear at top of each page so continuous detail remains labeled. PAGESIZE and LINESIZE determine when eject occurs—long TITLE blocks reduce lines available for detail on first page. Keep TITLE count reasonable; move verbose legal disclaimers to FOOTING or separate cover report if PAGESIZE is tight.
Beyond static TITLE, break headers identify new CONTROL groups. Patterns include: literal in BEFORE-BREAK assigned to heading field printed on LINE 01 first row after break; SUMCTL printing control field on subtotal then detail resumes with DEPT in first column; optional extra TITLE-like line via report writer break header support on your release. When CONTROL REGION NEWPAGE fires, page one of new region should repeat corporate TITLE 01–02 and optionally print REGION field in TITLE 03 via procedure assigning REGION-NAME before break detail.
Some Easytrieve releases document HEADING as a distinct report statement for heading regions or repeated header bands—consult your 11.6 statements index. Conceptually HEADING complements TITLE for complex multi-page forms. If your site uses only TITLE, consolidate all header lines there for maintainability. Avoid duplicating the same text in TITLE and HEADING unless documentation requires both.
TITLE column header row is quick for simple reports. LINE-based headers align under POS column positions when multi-line detail uses POS 4 alignment—header LINE 01 literals spaced to match detail LINE 01 field positions. Choose TITLE when headers are page-centric; choose LINE when headers must track exact column math with NOADJUST COL placement.
Long TITLE literals truncate or wrap when exceeding LINESIZE 80 or 132. Centered titles sometimes use spacing literals or assignment to padded fields in BEFORE report events. Test on target printer font—132-column line printer versus AFP conversion may differ in effective width.
Headings are the name tag at the top of each worksheet page—the school name, the test name, the date. Every new page gets the same name tag so nobody forgets what paper they are reading. When you start a new pile for a different team (control break), you still put the big school name tag on top, then write which team this pile is for.
1. TITLE statements define:
2. TITLESKIP on REPORT controls:
3. Headings repeat on new pages when:
4. Control break headers often use:
5. TITLE may include: