What is the difference between Include and Copy?

[s_maria]

Hi,

What is the difference between Include and Copy? Can someone please explain that to me?

++include copybook
copy copybook

[Robert Sample]

The ++include statement is a PANVALET statement and as such will only be recognized at sites that have purchased and use PANVALET. The COPY statement is a standard part of COBOL and will always be available. For more information about the differences, consult the PANVALET documentation (which is available to you if your site has a license for the product).

Note that the ++include statement is different from the COBOL INCLUDE statement, which is used by precompilers (such as DB2) to include code at the pre-compile stage rather than at compile time.

[s_maria]

But we have INCLUDE used for SQL also. If we are using PANVALET, will there not be confusion for which INCLUDE is for what?

[s_maria]

I forgot to tell that we use change-man.

[AmjzadAli]

But we have INCLUDE used for SQL also. If we are using PANVALET, will there not be confusion for which INCLUDE is for what?

Both are different. Do not confuse them with each oterh.

[Robert Sample]

If we are using PANVALET, will there not be confusion for which INCLUDE is for what?

For PANVALET, the INCLUDE statement is preceded by ++ (which are NOT optional). If the INCLUDE does not have ++ on the front of it, then it is a COBOL or SQL INCLUDE statement, not a PANVALET statement. And since the syntax is ++INCLUDE <membername> where <membername> is the name of the member to be included, you cannot be confused about what is being included. Similarly, the COBOL INCLUDE will be SQLCA, SQLDA, or a member name. So there should be no confusion as to which INCLUDE is for what.