Checking for sort errors with NOFASTSRT

When you compile with the NOFASTSRT option, the sort process does not check for errors in open, close, or input or output operations for files that you reference in the USING or GIVING phrase of the format 1 SORT statement. Therefore, you might need to check whether SORT completed successfully.

Note: This topic relates to the format 1 SORT statement only.

The code required depends on whether you code a FILE STATUS clause or an ERROR declarative for the files referenced in the USING and GIVING phrases, as shown in the table below.

Table 1. Methods for checking for sort errors with NOFASTSRT
FILE STATUS clause? ERROR declarative? Then do:
No No No special coding. Any failure during the sort process causes the program to end abnormally.
Yes No Test the SORT-RETURN special register after the format 1 SORT statement, and test the file status key. (Not recommended if you want complete file-status checking, because the file status code is set but COBOL cannot check it.)
Maybe Yes In the ERROR declarative, set the SORT-RETURN special register to 16 to stop the sort process and indicate that it was not successful. Test the SORT-RETURN special register after the format 1 SORT statement.