COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs (H06.03+)

Data Division
HP COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs—520347-003
7-34
Initializing Data Items
Initializing Data Items
The value to which a data item is initialized is determined by:
•
EXTERNAL clause
A data item described with an EXTERNAL clause (an external data item) cannot
have a VALUE clause and is not affected by events that cause internal data items
to be initialized. Its contents are unpredictable until a program assigns a value to it.
Thereafter, it retains the last value assigned to it throughout the current execution
of the run unit.
•
VALUE clause
With some exceptions, you can set the initial value of an internal data item by
including a VALUE clause in its data description entry (for exceptions, see VALUE
Clause).
•
BLANK and NOBLANK directives
When a data item is not described with a VALUE clause, the BLANK or NOBLANK
directive determines its initial value (see BLANK and NOBLANK).
An internal data item is initialized at each of these times:
•
The first time the program is executed.
•
The first time the program is called after a CANCEL statement that references it
has been executed, unless a NOCANCEL directive affects the program.
01 REPORT-HEADING-1.
05 FILLER PICTURE X(7) VALUE SPACES.
05 REPORT-MM PICTURE 99.
05 FILLER PICTURE X VALUE "/".
05 REPORT-DD PICTURE 99.
05 FILLER PICTURE X VALUE "/".
05 REPORT-YY PICTURE 99.
05 REPORT-YY PICTURE 99.
05 FILLER PICTURE X(7) VALUE SPACES.
...
01 MONTH-ABBREVIATIONS
VALUE "JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC".
03 MON-ABBR PIC X(3) OCCURS 12 TIMES.
01 CONSTANTS-FOR-I-O.
05 ERROR-MSG-CONST PICTURE X(13) VALUE "*** ERROR ***".
...
01 CONSTANTS-FOR-LOGIC.
...
Example 7-6. Record Description Entries (page 2 of 2)