PL1 structure assignment with BY NAME option at runtime or compilation

In PL1 it is possible to assign a structure with the option BY NAME. Is this functionality used during runtime or during compile only?

The IBM documentation is not very helpful in this case.

Are you talking about the BY NAME in procedure assignment (better known as BY Reference) or the BY NAME in assignment ???.

From the manual reference, I presume you are talking about the BY NAME assignment option in PL1 assignment which is a variation on the Cobol Move Corresponding clause.

Yes it is possible to assign a pl1 structure with the BY NAME option. It would be determined at compiled time exactly what is assigned to what.

See By Name Example in PL1

This basically lists:

  declare      declare       declare
  1 One,       1 Two,        1 Three,
   2 Part1,     2 Part1,      2 Part1,
    3 Red,       3 Blue,       3 Red,
    3 Orange,    3 Green,      3 Blue,
   2 Part2,      3 Red,        3 Brown,
    3 Yellow,   2 Part2,      2 Part2,
    3 Blue,      3 Brown,      3 Yellow,
    3 Green;     3 Yellow;     3 Green;

Assignment statements using by name clause

 One = Two, by name;
 One.Part1 = Three.Part1, by name;

1 The first assignment statement is the same as the following:

  One.Part1.Red    = Two.Part1.Red;
  One.Part2.Yellow = Two.Part2.Yellow;

2 The second assignment statement is the same as the following:

  One.Part1.Red = Three.Part1.Red;