Defining Input and Output Files

You need to give instructions to define both the input and output files:

USE input-file [record definition]
   [org organization] [key structure]

GIVE output-file [record definition] 
   [org organization] [key structure]

Notes:

• For input files that are either variable length or indexed files, you do not need to specify RECORD, ORG or KEYcommands as the file characteristics can be deduced from the file itself.
• If you omit any of the above instructions, the last specified values are used. Therefore, you need only specify values for the first file if the input and output files are all of the same type and format.
• If the first file is variable length or indexed, you do not need to specify any of the values.
• You can use embedded library names and environment variables when you specify input and output files, in the same way as you can when you specify them in ASSIGN clauses; for more information see the sections Library Names in Paths and Filename Mapping in the chapter Filenames.
• You can redirect the output file generated by MFSORT to another filename as follows:
  • If you do not use the SYSOUT environment variable, it is written to a file named SYSOUT.
  • If you do specify the SYSOUT environment variable, you specify the filename to be written to.