Define an Interface Field

We see from the book.cbl source that lnk-file-status field returns the status of the last file input/output action. We will create an interface field to contain the value so the client can send it to the application.

1. Drag lnk-file-status from the COBOL Entry Point pane to the Interface Fields pane.

   This creates an interface field called lnk_file_status. A mapping is automatically created between the new field and the entry point field it was created from. The purpose of this field is to relay information back to the user; therefore we need to change its direction from Input to Output.

2. In the Direction column, double-click Input and use the drop-down list to change the direction of the lnk_file_status interface field to Output.