USING Clause

The USING clause specifies a file that is to be the currently active dictionary, that is, the source of data definition items. The file given by the USING clause becomes the source of all data definition items explicitly named in the sentence, in place of the dictionary of the first file shown in the sentence. In a macro, the file given by a USING clause is the source of all definition items named in that macro.

Syntax

USING file-specifier

Syntax Elements

USING Specifies that the file indicated is the currently active dictionary.

file-specifier Specifies the file to use. See General Conventions for details.

Rules

You can specify one and only one USING clause in an English sentence. You can specify one and only one USING clause in each macro.

Comment

The advantage of the USING clause is that you can share a dictionary among several files. For example, you can develop dictionaries of data definition items that are common to several different files. Also, you can put attribute and macro definitions for a similar application in one dictionary.

Examples

In the following sentence the data in file GUESTS.94 will be referenced by means of the definition items in the dictionary of file GUESTS.

:SORT GUESTS.94 USING DICT GUESTS 

The following sentence causes the processor to look for definition items DISEASE and PROGNOSIS in file HOSPITAL.

:LIST PATIENTS WITH DISEASE "T" USING HOSPITAL PROGNOSIS