Declared Element Characteristics

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Every declared element (a programming element that is defined in a declaration statement) has one or more of the following characteristics associated with it:

  • Data type - (Type keyword) The values the element can hold, and how those values are stored, such as *BINARY, *BOOLEAN, *BYTE, *CHAR, *DATE, *DECIMAL | *FLOAT, *IND, *INTEGER, *OBJECT, *ONECHAR, *PACKED, *STRING, *TIME, *TIMESTAMP , or *ZONED.
  • Lifetime - (Static keyword) The period the declared field will remain in existence and retain their latest values after termination of the procedure in which they are declared.
  • Scope - (Access keyword) The type of access to the member, such as *PRIVATE, *PUBLIC, *PROTECTED , or *INTERNAL.
  • Accessibility (Shared keyword) The permission for code to use the element.

The following table shows the declared elements and the characteristics that apply to each one.

Element Data type
(```Type```) 		Lifetime
(```Static```) 		Scope
(```Access```) 		Accessibility
(```Shared```)
Class No No Yes Yes
Constant Yes No Yes Yes
Enumeration Yes No Yes Yes
Event No No Yes Yes
Property Yes No Yes Yes
Method No No Yes Yes
Procedure No No Yes Yes
Function return Yes Yes Yes No
Delegate No No Yes Yes
Interface No No Yes Yes
Variable Yes Yes Yes Yes

Visibility

Visibility results from a combination of lifetime, scope, and accessibility. a programming element can be said to be visible from a block of code when all three of the following conditions apply:

  • The element is within its lifetime ( Static ) — that is, it has been created and not yet terminated.
  • The access of the element includes the block of code referring to it.
  • The element’s sharing accessibility permits the code to use it.

Declared Element Lifetime

Describes the lifetime of a declared element.

Declared Element Scope

Describes the scope of access of a declared element.

Declared Element Accessibility

Describes the accessibility of a declared element.