Handle

When a control is created, a handle to the control is also created. This handle is a COBOL data item. Its value uniquely identifies the control to the system. Handle values are generated dynamically at run time and cannot be controlled by the programmer.

Note: If you want to assign a constant name to a control (a name that remains the same between runs), you can assign an ID to the control. Anytime the runtime system returns information about a control, it includes both its handle and its ID. Because the handle can change from run to run, examining the ID can be more convenient. Note that using IDs is the only effective way to distinguish controls in the Screen Section, because those controls' handles are hidden from the programmer.