Writing Data Using the OUTPUT Statement

The OUTPUT statement creates an output row, using values for the row that are contained in the global variables when the output statement executes. The OUTPUT statement writes the current row to a table immediately, not at the end of the DS2 program. If no table name is specified in the OUTPUT statement, the row is written to the table or tables that are listed in the DATA statement.

DS2 keeps track of the values in the order in which the compiler encounters them within a DS2 program, whether they are read from existing tables or created in the program.

If you do not supply an OUTPUT statement, DS2 adds one implicitly at the end of the RUN method that writes rows to the table or tables that are being created.

Placing an explicit OUTPUT statement in a DS2 program overrides the automatic output, and adds a row to a table only when an explicit OUTPUT statement is executed. Once you use an OUTPUT statement to write a row to any one table, however, there is no implicit OUTPUT statement at the end of the RUN method. In this situation, a DS2 program writes a row to a table only when an explicit OUTPUT executes. You can use the OUTPUT statement alone or as part of an IF-THEN/ELSE or SELECT statement or in DO loop processing.