MVSFORUMS.com

[ST]

Hi,
A cobol pgm uses FILE1 which has field say FIELD1 which is 5 bytes NUM.
So,how can we expand its length from 5 bytes(NUM) to 10Bytes(CHAR) ?

I want to use cobol Pgm only and not by using any JCL Sort utilities etc..

Can we do like this:
field1 pic 9(5) and define a new field as
field2 as pic X(10) in a different file say FILE2

and we move field1 to field2 and write FILE2 instead of FILE1?

I think it might not be a good way but if anybody has good solution,pls let me know..

Thanks in adv
ST

[kolusu]

ST,

[ST]

Kolusu,

Thanks for ur reply... i was also thinking the same and said in my question..but wondering if therez any other way to do that?


Rgds,
ST

[kolusu]

ST,

Well you can redefine the field like as shown below.

[ST]

Kolusu,

Thanks......

ST

[zatlas]

Hi
Koluso, the redefines will definitely not work. You may not redefine a smaller object. Also, I would be more comfortable doing this in the MOVE:

05 FIELD1 PIC 9(5).
:
:
05 FIELD2 PIC 9(10).
05 FIELD2-X REDEFINES FIELD2 PIC X(10).
:
:
MOVE FIELD1 TO FIELD2.
now you may use FIELD2-X padded with leading zeroes, etc.

[kolusu]

Zatlas,

You can redefine a smaller item also. The above posted code using redefines works fine with IBM COBOL for OS/390 & VM 2.2.1

Kolusu

[zatlas]

i am standing corrected...
but beware if you are using that feature too much within structures and records because of the maintainability issue.
ZA

[ST]

Yes, In COBOL85 we can redefine a smaller length field ..

ST

[vallishar]

Kolusu,

Will the same work in COBOL 2 ?

Vallish
_________________
If you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign you're not doing anything very innovative.

[kolusu]

Vallishar,

Yes it works with IBM VS COBOL II Release 4.0.

Kolusu

PS: VS COBOL II is no longer supported by IBM