This configuration variable allows you to configure the runtime so that each instance of a recursively called program shares the same data as the original instance of the program. The primary reason for configuring the runtime in this manner is if you are migrating code that relies on this behavior from another COBOL system, such as HP COBOL.
When RECURSION_DATA_GLOBAL is set to 1 (on, true, yes), files and data items in a recursive call of a program refer to the identical items in the original call of that same program. This is true regardless of the entry point into the program. Changes to data or file state made in any recursive instance of the program are seen by all other instances of that program in the same run unit.
Note that to use this feature, you must not only set the configuration variable RECURSION_DATA_GLOBAL to 1, you must also set the RECURSION configuration variable to 1 to allow recursion (which is not allowed under standard ANSI-85 COBOL rules).
The default is 0 (off, false, no).