The RENAMES Clause
The RENAMES clause permits alternative, possibly overlapping, groupings of
elementary items.
General Format

Level-number 66 and data-name-1 are shown in the above format to improve
clarity. Level-number and data-name-1 are not part of the RENAMES clause.
Syntax Rules
- Any number of RENAMES entries can be written for a logical record.
- All RENAMES entries referring to data items within a given logical record
must immediately follow the last data description entry of the associated
record description entry.
- Data-name-2 and data-name-3 must be names of elementary items or groups of
elementary items in the same logical record, and cannot be the same data-name.
A 66 level entry cannot rename another 66 level entry, nor can it rename a
77,
78,
88, or 01 entry.
A 66 level entry may rename another 66 level entry or a level 77 or level
01 entry.
- Data-name-1 cannot be used as a qualifier, and can be qualified only by the
names of the associated level 01, FD or SD entries. Neither data-name-2
nor data-name-3 can have an OCCURS clause in its data description entry, nor
be subordinate to an item that has an OCCURS clause in its data description
entry. (See the topic The OCCURS Clause.)
- The beginning of the area described by data-name-3 must not be to the left
of the beginning of the area described by data-name-2. The end of the area
described by data-name-3 must be to the right of the end of the area described
by data-name-2. Data-name-3, therefore, cannot be subordinate to data-name-2.
- Data-name-2 and data-name-3 can be qualified.
- The words THRU and THROUGH are equivalent.
- None of the items within the range, including data-name-2 and data-name-3,
if specified, can be an item whose size is variable as defined in the topic
The OCCURS Clause.
General Rules
- When data-name-3 is specified, data-name-1 is a group item which includes
all elementary items starting with data-name-2 (if data-name-2 is an elementary
item) or the first elementary item in data-name-2 (if data-name-2 is a group
item), and concluding with data-name-3 (if data-name-3 is an elementary item)
or the last elementary item in data-name-3 (if data-name-3 is a group item).
- When data-name-3 is not specified, all of the attributes of data-name-2 become
the data attributes for data-name-1.
When data-name-2 and data-name-3 are not explicitly qualified and when no
ambiguity of reference exists, implied qualification of the 01 level item
is used.