Is the record‑key ordering preserved in sequential‑access files when COBOL 85 fixed‑format code is compiled with a modern COBOL 2002 free‑format compiler?

The objective is to determine whether modern COBOL runtimes maintain the original record‑key ordering for sequential‑access files when a program written in COBOL 85 fixed‑format syntax is compiled with a COBOL 2002 free‑format compiler.

Constraints include using at least two compiler implementations from different vendors, accounting for alignment options that may influence record layout, and recognizing that behavior could vary between IBM, Micro Focus, and GnuCOBOL.

• Does the record‑key ordering stay consistent across compiler versions?
• Does alignment affect key position in free‑format versus fixed‑format builds?
• Is the preservation vendor‑agnostic?