COBOL TABLE LOOKUP QUESTION!

[qshackelford]

I'm trying to use the policy number to code a table lookup to locate the name of the attending manager.

Policy Number
1001
1002
1003

Attending Manager
James Blankson
Jonne Gray
Charley Brocke

I really need help, thank you

 

[PHV]

What have you tried so far and where in your code are you stuck ?

Hope This Helps, PH.
FAQ219-2884
FAQ181-2886

 

[nclouston]

Are you talking about COBOL tables or relational database tables?
What is the format of the data in your table?


Nic

 

[qshackelford]

I first used an if statement but that didn't work.

 

[randy700]

I first used an if statement but that didn't work.

A bit more detail might help.


Randy

 

[papadba]

I first used an if statement but that didn't work.

Show the IF statement. Why did it not work?

To do a table lookup, you first need to define the table. Have you done this?

Then, you would code a loop to look thru the table until a "hit" is found or the end of table is reached.

 

[PHV]

Do you know how to use the PERFORM .. VARIYING verb ?

Hope This Helps, PH.
FAQ219-2884
FAQ181-2886

 

[nclouston]

Pleas show us the code you have for your look-up and your table definition.


Nic

 

[papadba]

@randy - sorry about mis-quoting you earlier. If i could change my post i'd do so . . .

 

[Member 310024]

You will find that there are very few people who will help you, unless you show that you have made some genuine effort yourself.
I feel you are basically asking someone to give you the COBOL code that you need, without you really demonstrating that you even understanding the logic of the solution ( as opposed to how that logic would be implemented specifically using the COBOL programming language).

For example, you could have said something like :-
I want to create a working-storage table with 2 columns – POLICY-NUMBER as PIC X(04) and ATTENDING-MANAGER as PIC X(30).
I want the table to have 3 rows.
I want to put data ( as you have provided ) into the table.
I then want to be able to search the table for a particular POLICY-NUMBER and then display who the ATTENDING-MANAGER is, for that POLICY-NUMBER.

This would demonstrate that even if you don’t know how to do this in COBOL, that you have at least put in the effort to firstly figure out what you want the program to do.

It would have the added benefit of breaking down the problem into smaller chunks that can then be solved one at a time i.e. a ‘plan’.

There are probably very few people who will spend their time writing the code for you and just giving it to you. Most will just answer your question with another question ( frustrating – I know ). It’s hard, but in computer programming ( with a 3G language like COBOL ), you have to overcome lazy mindedness ( & no offence is intended in saying this ).

With regards to using tables in COBOL, you must become an expert on how to use them. I have found that most COBOL programmers don’t really understand them ( Tek-Tips contributors excluded, of course ).
If you don’t understand them, you will never be able to rest easy.

 

[mikrom]

It seems that the OP is no longer interested in the answer. According to the description in his profile, he has logged into this forum only once.