Easytrieve Statements Reference

How to Use This Reference

Search alphabetically below when debugging compile errors like unknown statement or invalid context for FILE. Click the statement name when tutorial page exists; pages under construction appear in checklist order. Read section column before coding—FILE in middle of JOB body fails even when spelling correct. Cross-check terminator rules on statement-specific page and statement terminators tutorial. Vendor manual remains authority for obscure options; tutorials teach durable patterns and beginner traps.

Statement Categories at a Glance

Minimal Batch Program Statement Set

Smallest useful payroll filter uses subset of full index. Environment PARM optional. Library FILE and DEFINE mandatory. Activity JOB INPUT, DO WHILE or READ loop, IF, PRINT, STOP. REPORT with TITLE and LINE at JOB end. Every other statement in index extends this skeleton—SORT before JOB, DISPLAY for debug, ADD for running totals, WRITE for extract file instead of report.

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PARM
FILE PAYROLL FB(80 800)
  EMP-NO   1  6  N
  GROSS   20  5  P 2
 
JOB INPUT PAYROLL
  IF GROSS GT 0
     PRINT PAY-RPT
  END-IF
STOP
 
* REPORT subactivity follows JOB in same activity

Procedural Versus Declarative Statements

Procedural statements execute in sequence during runtime—READ, IF, ADD, PRINT. Declarative statements register structure compiler uses later—REPORT, LINE, FILE field layout. Mixing order violates grammar: REPORT definitions belong after JOB executable statements in same activity. BEGINners paste TITLE at top of program like HTML header—compile error. Index section column marks declarative report and library entries versus procedural activity verbs.

Alphabetical Statement Index

Each row summarizes purpose and home section. Tutorial links use slug under /tutorials/easytrieve/statements/. Pages marked pending in checklist will link as they publish—bookmark this reference for updates.

Statements With Paired End Keywords

• IF requires END-IF—or period grammar on older styles per release.
• DO requires END-DO; DO WHILE combines condition with loop body.
• PROC module ends with END-PROC; distinguish from job PROC call.
• REPORT subactivity ends before next REPORT or job PROC per placement rules.
• CASE branches require END-CASE or equivalent per manual.

Execution Order Within JOB

1. JOB INPUT selects driver file.
2. OPEN implicit or explicit before READ.
3. Loop READ or GET retrieves records.
4. IF and calculations filter and transform.
5. PRINT selects for report; WRITE sends to extract file.
6. CLOSE when processing complete.
7. Report writer formats PRINT-selected rows using REPORT defs.

Common Cross-Statement Mistakes

• FILE after JOB started—must be Library.
• PRINT without REPORT definition for named report.
• IF without matching END-IF confusing maintainer and compiler.
• LINE field names not in DEFINE.
• SORT keys not matching FILE field offsets.
• STOP missing—program falls through unpredictably.

Explain It Like I'm Five

Statements are sentence types in Easytrieve language. Nouns like FILE say what data looks like. Verbs like READ and PRINT say what actions happen. Conjunctions like IF say when to do something. This reference is the dictionary listing every sentence type alphabetically so you can look up READ when you see it in someone else's program and learn what it does.

Exercises

1. Pick five statements from index and classify procedural versus declarative.
2. Sketch minimal batch using only PARM FILE DEFINE JOB IF PRINT STOP.
3. Explain why FILE cannot appear inside IF block.
4. Find three paired end keywords in index list.
5. Contrast this reference with statements overview in one paragraph.