Thanks for (as always) a very informative and detailed response, Birgitta. 
 Thanks to the others who've responded as well.  Birgitta's response 
brings up a few more questions:
Birgitta Hauser wrote on 09/04/2007 12:57:32:
I'll try to explain how SQL works:
1. When executing an SQL statement an access plan must either be built 
or at
least validated.
   In the access plan the indexes to be used and temporary objects (such 
as
hash tables, bitmaps, relative record lists)  to be built for to open 
the
data path are desrcibed. In this step all access paths (in either DDS
described logical files or SQL indexes) will be checked and the 
statistics
will be consulted.
2. After the access plan is built, validated and actualized the 
temporary
objects will be created and filled with data, that can be accessed, i.e. 
the
access path is opened (ODP).
Both steps are very expensive and should be avoided whenever possible.
Am I correct to assume that these steps are significantly more expensive 
than a traditional OPEN?
I generally do an OPEN and CLOSE each time a subprocedure in a service 
program is called, mostly to avoid the need for initialization and cleanup 
subprocedures (which would respectively open and close any files used by 
the SRVPGM).  I was trying to apply the same logic to SQL, which it seems 
will not work the way I had hoped.  Perhaps the solution to my problem is 
to rethink my opening/closing approach.  On that note - can anyone comment 
on the performance of %open()?
Thanks again,
Adam
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