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<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Control break</span></span>
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</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Not to be confused with 'Control-Break' displayed in MS-DOS when cancelling an ongoing task by pressing <a href="Break_key" title="Break key">Ctrl+Break</a> key combination.</div>
<p>In <a href="Computer_programming" title="Computer programming">computer programming</a> a <b>control break</b> is a change in the value of one of the <a href="Key_field" class="mw-redirect" title="Key field">keys</a> on which a file is sorted which requires some extra processing.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> For example, with an input file sorted by post code, the number of items found in each postal district might need to be printed on a report, and a heading shown for the next district. Quite often there is a hierarchy of nested control breaks in a program, e.g. streets within districts within areas, with the need for a grand total at the end. <a href="Structured_programming" title="Structured programming">Structured programming</a> techniques have been developed to ensure correct processing of control breaks in languages such as <a href="COBOL" title="COBOL">COBOL</a> and to ensure that conditions such as empty input files and sequence errors are handled properly.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>With <a href="Fourth_generation_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Fourth generation language">fourth generation languages</a> such as <a href="SQL" title="SQL">SQL</a>, the programming language should handle most of the details of control breaks automatically.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>
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<div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references">
<li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=EGWeBQAAQBAJ&dq=Control+break+computer+programming&pg=PA201">Computer Programming Languages in Practice: Made Simple Computerbooks</a>, 2014, page 32-227</span>
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<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=J88gAQAAIAAJ&q=Control+break+computer+programming">Logic and Structured Design for Computer Programmers</a>, 2001, page 74-390</span>
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<li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=RzAeCgAAQBAJ&dq=Control+break+computer+programming&pg=PT368">Programming Logic and Design, Introductory</a>, 2014</span>
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<li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=pkwsAQAAIAAJ&q=Control+break+computer+programming">Introduction to computer programming RPG</a>, 1972, pages 1-8</span>
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<li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=nauWlPTBcjIC&dq=Control+break+computer+programming&pg=PA512">Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology</a>, 1992, pages 307-2112</span>
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<li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=cE0gAQAAIAAJ&q=Control+break+computer+programming">Introduction to computer programming structured COBOL</a>, 1977, pages 8-20</span>
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<li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Hi9fMnOoRtAC&dq=Control+break+computer+programming+SQL&pg=PA528">Joe Celko's SQL for Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming</a>, 2010, page 528</span>
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<li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ytBQAAAAYAAJ&q=Control+break+computer+programming+SQL">Oracle SQL</a>, 2003, pages 76-201</span>
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<li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=HUSeBQAAQBAJ&dq=Control+break+computer+programming+SQL&pg=PA46">Relational Databases: State of the Art Report 14:5</a> 2014, page 46</span>
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