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abracadabra · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 7:16 am Post subject: Index and Subscript

What is the difference b/w index and subscript?
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kolusu · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 7:28 am Post subject:

In simple terms Index represents the displacement value of the table entry from the beginning of the table, whereas subscript reprensts the occurrence # of the table entry.

check this link which explains about good tips on writing efficient COBOL programs
the performance. In that you have a section of Efficient COBOL Coding Techniques and in it there is a section which discusses about Indexes vs Subscripts

http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?org=SW&doc=7001476&aid=1

Hope this helps...

cheers

kolusu
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Kolusu
www.linkedin.com/in/kolusu

abracadabra · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 7:37 am Post subject:

Thanks Kolusu. The manual is really good. However, I still have one ot two questions.
1) I believe the index value is written in the register while the subscript is not. Can you tell me more about this?
2) The other thing is that which one can I pass...a subscript or an index?
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Cheers!

kolusu · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 7:59 am Post subject:

abracadabra,

Indexes are stored as a 4-byte binary number and pointed to in the variable portion of the TGT(Task Global Table) whereas subscripts are defined in the working-storage section and are stored according to their PIC and USAGE clauses (PIC S9(4) or S9(8) COMP)

I am sorry I did not quite understand your second question. can you elaborate?

Kolusu
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Kolusu
www.linkedin.com/in/kolusu

abracadabra · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 10:34 pm Post subject:

Kolusu,

Actually I have heard somebody telling me that if there is a program A which calls another program B, index can be accessed from both the programs while with subscript its not possible. I am not sure about this at all.
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hari_uss · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 11:58 pm Post subject:

abracadabra,

It is not possible to pass index via linkage. Index is not a part of calling program's working storage.

Hari.

kolusu · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2003 9:23 am Post subject:

hari_uss,

abracadabra · Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2004 5:32 am Post subject:

Thanks Kolusu for the update. I still have one more doubt. If I can use an index in the USING statement for CALL, I need to receive it in my subroutine/sub program. So will I need to define a ws-variable in the linkage section?
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kolusu · Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2004 12:03 pm Post subject:

abracadabra,

No you don't have to define the index in the working storage section. Just use it in the procedure division statement of the subroutine.

Hope this helps...

cheers

kolusu
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Kolusu
www.linkedin.com/in/kolusu

slade · Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2004 4:54 pm Post subject:

Hi Kolusu,

Granted, a passed index is not defined in WS. If it is defined in the LS, how is it defined when intended to be used to reference an entry of a passed table?

Thanx, Jack.