Numeric check on ZEROS in COBOL.

[KavalJeet]

Hi,

Will checking a variable like

WS-VAR > 0 and

WS-VAR > ZEROS

will yield the same results? When WS-VAR is defined as PIC (X)?

[Robert Sample]

Do you not have a system you could test this on? The code takes a couple of minutes to write / compile / execute. ZERO / ZEROES is the same as the number 0 and the IF tests will compare the same. And the PIC X will not impact the results since a zoned decimal value could be PIC 9 or PIC X.

Furthermore, the Enterprise COBOL manuals are easily accessed on IBM's web site and the Language Reference manual will tell you what you want to know as well.

[KavalJeet]

Actually the real problem came in when I started looking at an existing program. The code is something like this:

Code: Select all

05  WS-PENALTY.                                 
    10 WS-C1    PIC X(4) VALUE SPACES.         
    10 WS-C2    PIC X(2) VALUE '00'.           
05  WS-PENALITY1  REDEFINES WS-PENALTY
                            PIC 9(6).                      

Code: Select all

.
.
.

CALL 'A-TABLE-ROUTINE'           USING  TBLE-VARIABLE       
                                                     
IF  TBLE-RESP                                   
  MOVE VALUE-FROM-TABLE TO WS-C1   
ELSE                                                 
  MOVE 'Y'                    TO WS-ERROR-SW         
  MOVE '120-'                 TO WS-PARAGRAPH
  MOVE 'BAD TABLE CALL '      TO WS-MSG-ACTION   
  MOVE WS-DB2-ERROR-MSG       TO ERRMSGO             
  PERFORM 999-ABEND                                  
END-IF                                               


IF  (WS-C1 IS NUMERIC) AND        
    (WS-PENALITY1 > 0)              
    CONTINUE                                  
ELSE                                          
    MOVE 'Y'                TO WS-ERROR-SW    
    MOVE -1                 TO XYPDCFL       
    MOVE UNPR-ANUM-BRT-NMDT TO XYRECNFA      
    MOVE SPACES             TO XYRECNFI      
    MOVE SPACES             TO XYRECNFO      
    MOVE '*** PENALTY NOT SET ***' 
                            TO ERRMSGO        
   GO TO 100-EXIT                             
END-IF                                        

WS-C1 is a penalty and will always be numeric, so if we keep initial value of WS-C1 as ZEROS, will not we can get rid of this AND in this IF and make it simple:

Code: Select all

IF  (WS-C1 IS NUMERIC) AND        
    (WS-PENALITY1 > 0)              

?

[Robert Sample]

WS-C1 is a penalty and will always be numeric

You REALLY need to learn COBOL rather than spouting off about things you have no clue about. In the code you posted, WS-C1 is PIC X(4) and starts the program with spaces in it; spaces are NOT numeric and hence your statement I quoted is TOTALLY BOGUS!

Furthermore, unless WS-PENALTY is part of TBLE-VARIABLE (and you did NOT post anything to indicate that this is the case), your change of the IF statement is HIGHLY likely to fail. You did not tell us how TBLE-RESP is set in the subprogram, so changing the IF statement could have all sorts of side effects, up to and including program ABENDS.

[KavalJeet]

WS-C1 is a penalty and will always be numeric

You REALLY need to learn COBOL rather than spouting off about things you have no clue about. In the code you posted, WS-C1 is PIC X(4) and starts the program with spaces in it; spaces are NOT numeric and hence your statement I quoted is TOTALLY BOGUS!

I could not really put my point correctly. I was saying that "Business-users will always put a number in penalty field". In COBOL program, it has been defined as PIC X(4) years back for some reason but in reality it will always be number, a dollar amount, and will never be a text.

For other points of your I shall research and get back.