External data can be shared among the module objects in a service program, across service programs, across program objects, and between service programs and program objects.
In the ILE COBOL program, the data items to be shared among different module objects must be described with the EXTERNAL clause in the Working Storage Section. See Sharing EXTERNAL Data or refer the section on the EXTERNAL clause in the WebSphere Development Studio: ILE COBOL Reference for a further description of how external data is used in an ILE COBOL program.
Data and files declared as EXTERNAL in an ILE COBOL program in a service program cannot be in the export list on the binder language for the service program. Data and files declared as EXTERNAL in an ILE COBOL program that is outside of the service program can share this data with an ILE COBOL program that is inside the service program by the activation time resolution to the EXTERNAL data and EXTERNAL files. This same mechanism also allows you to share EXTERNAL data and EXTERNAL files between two completely separate program objects activated in the same activation group.
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