Numeric fields in COBOL 1

[stevenbyers]

How do I define a field in a COBOL program that can read data that has a floating and/or stationary negative sign (-). For example, if the data I want to read is on a file as:

- 500
-25

What PICTURE clause(s) should I use?

 

[k5tm]

Steven,

This is a classic issue. In order for this forum to give its best advice, could you please tell us what computing platform and compiler you are using? Thanks.

Tom Morrison

http://www.liant.com

 

[stevenbyers]

Tom,

We are on an HP 5430 with a Unix operating system. When I compile my program, the following line appears (among others):

Micro Focus Server Express V2.2 revision 000 Compiler

I assume that means I'm using a Micro Focus compiler?
Thanx for your help.

Stev

 

[k5tm]

On the assumption that what you are interested in is the numeric value of the string, I would suggest that you investigate the NUMVAL function (section 11.9.36 in the Server Express Language Reference Manual). The picture you would use would be X(n) (where n is the number of character positions in the input field).

Tom Morrison

http://www.liant.com

 

[stevenbyers]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The function worked like a charm.

 

[fredericofonseca]

if your numbers have "," and "." you should use NUMVALC instead.

Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

http://www.syssoft-int.com

 

[baruch]

I use old special routine that will work at any Cobol system, (even old).

000001 IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
000002 PROGRAM-ID. NUMSPL.
000003 ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
000004 DATA DIVISION.
000005 WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
000006 01  I            PIC S9(5)  COMP-3 VALUE 0.
000007 01  J            PIC 9(4)   COMP-6 VALUE 0.
000008 01  K            PIC 9(4)   COMP-6 VALUE 0.
000009 01  N1           PIC 9(13).
000010 01  N1-X REDEFINES N1.
000011     02 VEC-N1    PIC X OCCURS 13.
000012 01  N2           PIC V9(5).
000013 01  N2-X REDEFINES N2.
000014     02 VEC-N2    PIC X OCCURS 5.
000015 01  X            PIC X(20) JUST RIGHT.
000016 01  X-R REDEFINES X.
000017     02 VEC-X     PIC X OCCURS 20.
000018 01  SW-DOT       PIC 9.
000019 01  SW-SIGN      PIC 9.
000020**********************
000021 LINKAGE SECTION.
000022 01  INP          PIC X(20) JUST RIGHT.
000023 01  N            PIC S9(12)V9(5) COMP-3.
000024********************************************************
000025 PROCEDURE DIVISION USING INP N.
000026 MAIN SECTION.
000027 1.  MOVE INP TO X.
000028     PERFORM IN-NUM.
000029     EXIT PROGRAM.
000030 IN-NUM.
000031     IF VEC-X(20) = SPACE MOVE "," TO VEC-X(20).
000032     INSPECT X REPLACING ALL SPACE BY ZERO.
000033     MOVE 0 TO N1 N2.
000034     MOVE 0 TO K SW-DOT SW-SIGN.
000035     PERFORM IN-NUM1 VARYING I FROM 1 BY 1 UNTIL I > 20.
000036     IF SW-DOT > 0 SUBTRACT 1 FROM K
000037              ELSE MOVE 20 TO K.
000038     MOVE 14 TO J.
000039     PERFORM IN-NUM2
000040                  VARYING I FROM K BY -1 UNTIL (J = 1 OR I < 1).
000041     IF SW-DOT > 0 ADD 2 TO K
000042                   MOVE 0 TO J
000043                   PERFORM IN-NUM3
000044                   VARYING I FROM K BY 1 UNTIL (J = 5 OR I > 20).
000045     ADD N1 N2 GIVING N.
000046     IF SW-SIGN = 1 MULTIPLY -1 BY N.
000047    IN-NUM1.
000048     IF VEC-X(I) = "." MOVE I TO K
000049                       MOVE 77 TO I
000050                       MOVE 1 TO SW-DOT.
000051    IN-NUM2.
000052     IF VEC-X(I) = "-" MOVE 1 TO SW-SIGN
000053      ELSE IF VEC-X(I) NOT = "," SUBTRACT 1 FROM J
000054                                 MOVE VEC-X(I) TO VEC-N1(J).
000055    IN-NUM3.
000056     IF VEC-X(I) = "-" MOVE 1 TO SW-SIGN
000057      ELSE IF VEC-X(I) NOT = "," ADD 1 TO J
000058                                 MOVE VEC-X(I) TO VEC-N2(J).
000059 EX-IN-NUM.

Baruch

 

[Crox]

If your input is perhaps not numeric, the function NUMVAL or NUMVAL-C is perhaps not helping you. Try it out with several kinds of input you expect. If it does not work well, you need an other approach.

Also functions are from a library. It can be that they don't perform very fast compared to an efficient coded approach without functions.

 

[fdf]

In acucobol you would just treat the input as an alpha filed and move it to a mumeric field with conversion:

MOVE [alpha] TO [numeric] CONVERT.

 

[ceh4702]

The best way is not to accept stupid values.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[Crox]

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

I don't like those one-liners.