Easytrieve END Statements (Scope Terminators)

There Is No Bare END - Use the Right Terminator

Every block-opening statement in Easytrieve has a matching terminator, and you must use the one that belongs to that block. Writing a lone END will not compile. The table below lists each terminator, the statement it pairs with, and what happens when control reaches it. Learning these pairs is the whole skill: once you know which terminator closes which block, structured Easytrieve code becomes straightforward.

Note there is no END-JOB or END-SORT: activities are bounded differently, as explained further down. And ELSE-IF and ELSE never take their own terminator - the single END-IF closes the entire IF structure no matter how many branches it has.

END-IF: Closing a Decision

END-IF terminates the logic associated with the previous IF statement. Exactly one END-IF is required per IF, and it closes any ELSE-IF and ELSE branches too. After END-IF, processing continues regardless of which branch ran.

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IF PAY-GROSS NOT NUMERIC
   DISPLAY EMP# '  PERSONNEL RECORD IS DAMAGED'
   GOTO JOB
ELSE-IF PAY-GROSS > 500.00
   XMAS-BONUS = PAY-GROSS * 1.03
ELSE
   XMAS-BONUS = PAY-GROSS * 1.05
END-IF

The one END-IF at the bottom closes the IF, the ELSE-IF, and the ELSE all at once. This is why multi-band decisions in Easytrieve stay tidy - there is never a stack of terminators to match.

END-DO: Closing a Loop

END-DO terminates the body of the loop associated with a DO WHILE or DO UNTIL statement. When control reaches END-DO it branches back to re-evaluate the loop condition. An END-DO must be specified after each DO statement and its associated statements; nested loops each need their own.

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DO WHILE COUNT-1 LT 10
   COUNT-1 = COUNT-1 + 1
   DO WHILE COUNT-2 < 10
     COUNT-2 = COUNT-2 + 1
   END-DO
END-DO

The inner END-DO closes the inner loop and the outer END-DO closes the outer loop. Matching them by indentation is the easiest way to be sure each loop is closed at the right point.

END-PROC: Closing a Procedure

END-PROC delimits the statements in a procedure defined by a PROC statement. A procedure is a named group of statements you invoke with PERFORM. When execution reaches END-PROC, control returns to the statement following the PERFORM that called it.

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FINISH-PROC. PROC
   DISPLAY 'TOTAL $ SPENT IN BONUS ' +
           'MONEY ====> ' TOT-XMAS-BONUS
END-PROC

Every PROC must have an END-PROC. The procedure name and the PROC keyword open the block; END-PROC closes it and sends control back to the caller.

END-CASE: Closing a Selection

A CASE structure chooses one path from many based on the value of a field. END-CASE marks the end of that multi-way selection, in the same way END-IF ends a two-way decision. If you use CASE, you close it with END-CASE, not with END-IF.

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CASE REGION-CODE
   CASE 'N'
      PERFORM PROCESS-NORTH
   CASE 'S'
      PERFORM PROCESS-SOUTH
   OTHERWISE
      PERFORM PROCESS-OTHER
END-CASE

Ending Activities: STOP, Not a Terminator

Activities are the exception. A JOB or SORT activity has no closing keyword. It ends automatically when the next JOB or SORT activity begins, or when a STOP statement runs. This surprises people who expect an END-JOB. STOP ends the current activity, still running any FINISH procedure attached to it, and then moves on to the next activity if one exists. STOP EXECUTE is stronger: it ends all activities immediately without continuing to the next one.

Common END Mistakes

• Writing a bare END - it does not exist; use the specific hyphenated terminator.
• Closing a loop with END-IF or a decision with END-DO - the terminator must match its block.
• Looking for END-JOB - activities end at the next activity or at STOP instead.
• Adding an END-IF after every ELSE-IF - one END-IF closes the whole IF chain.
• Forgetting an inner END-DO or END-IF in nested logic, so an outer terminator gets mispaired.
• Confusing END-PROC with RETURN - END-PROC closes the procedure body; the return happens there automatically.

Explain It Like I'm Five

Think of each kind of block as a different box with its own lid. A loop box has a lid called END-DO. A yes/no box has a lid called END-IF. A helper-task box has a lid called END-PROC. You have to put the right lid on the right box - you cannot use one magic lid for everything, and there is no plain lid just called END. And the big work sessions (the activities) do not get a lid at all; they finish when the next session starts or when someone says STOP.

Exercises

1. List the four hyphenated terminators and the statement each one closes.
2. Explain why writing a bare END will not compile.
3. Write a nested IF inside a DO loop and mark which terminator closes which block.
4. State how a JOB activity ends and name the two ways to trigger it.
5. Describe the difference between STOP and STOP EXECUTE in one sentence each.