Programs created sequential files on one system, line sequenntial on another

Problem:

When programs were moved from one machine to another, programs that had been producing standard record sequential files now created files with a hex(0A) at the end of each record, that is, line sequential files were produced by default. The version of Server Express was different, but this  did not seem relevant.

Resolution:

The compiler directive SEQUENTIAL determines the default type of sequential file produced. The default is RECORD (SEQUENTIAL"RECORD"), the four values possible are

ADVANCING - RECORD SEQUENTIAL with LINE ADVANCING.

ANSI - ANSI-conforming RECORD SEQUENTIAL.

LINE -

LINE SEQUENTIAL.

RECORD - RECORD SEQUENTIAL (a standard SEQUENTIAL file).

On the new machine, a cobol.dir line contained the phrase SEQUENTIAL"LINE" (though no one admitted to having entered that text).

N.B. This directive can be set "invisibly" because of another directive being used:

NORM or RM"ANSI" will set this to SEQUENTIAL"RECORD"

RM will set it to SEQUENTIAL"LINE"