Here's a simple variable length solution. 


 FILE-CONTROL.
     SELECT DFCR08CR ASSIGN TO "DFCR08CR".
     SELECT DFCR08HP ASSIGN TO "DFCR08HP".
 DATA DIVISION.
 FILE SECTION.
$PAGE " "
  FD   DFCR08CR
       RECORD IS VARYING IN SIZE FROM 1  TO 400 CHARACTERS
       DEPENDING ON WSCR-LEN
       LABEL RECORDS STANDARD.
  01     RDCR08CR.
   3       CR0008-CR-BUFFER      PIC X(400).
*
  FD   DFCR08HP
       RECORD IS VARYING IN SIZE FROM 1  TO 9000 CHARACTERS
       DEPENDING ON WSHP-LEN
       LABEL RECORDS STANDARD.
  01     RDCR08HP.
   3       CR08AA-BUFFER         PIC X(9000).

in working storage 

 01 WSCR-LEN                     PIC S9(4)       COMP SYNC.
 01 WSHP-LEN                     PIC S9(4)       COMP SYNC


Sample of code

      MOVE LI02-CREST-BUFFER (1:WSCD-BYTES)
                                 TO CR0008-CR-BUFFER.
      MOVE WSCD-BYTES            TO WSCR-LEN.
*
      WRITE   RDCR08CR.






>>> Bruce Hobbs <[log in to unmask]> 26/09/99 06:37:43 >>>
At 12:01 AM -0400 09/25/1999, Arthur Frank <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> FD  INPUT-FILE
>     LABEL RECORDS ARE STANDARD.
> 01  INPUT-RECORD.
>     05  KEY-VALUE-IN     PIC X(10).
>     05  INPUT-DATA       PIC X(128).          <-----
>
> FD  OUTPUT-FILE
>     LABEL RECORDS ARE STANDARD.
> 01  OUTPUT-RECORD.
>     05  KEY-VALUE-OUT    PIC X(10).
>     05  KEY-COUNT        PIC 9(4).
>     05  OUTPUT-DATA      PIC X(128).          <-----
>
>I would like the INPUT-DATA and OUTPUT-DATA to be variable size, depending =
com