COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs (H06.08+, J06.03+)

• Set an external switch to ON or OFF
• Set a conditional variable to a value that makes an associated condition true
identifier-1
is the name of an integer elementary item or an index data item to be set.
identifier-2
is the name of an integer data item or an index data item.
index-name-1
is the name of an index to be set.
index-name-2
is the name of an index.
integer
is a numeric literal having no fractional part. If signed, it must have a positive value.
mnemonic-name
is the mnemonic name associated with an external switch in the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph
of the Environment Division. A SET statement can refer to any of the 15 external switches.
condition-name
is the condition-name (level-88 item) associated with a conditional variable.
Usage Considerations:
• Index-Names and Index Data Items
An index-name is directly associated with a table and is declared in the INDEXED phrase of
the table’s data description entry. The value associated with an index-name is related only to
the table with which it is defined.
An index data item is a separate data item, not associated with any table, that is declared
with the USAGE INDEX clause.
• Copying and Converting Values
The SET statement performs copying between indexes and index data items. It also performs
conversions from indexes to integer data items (occurrence numbers) or from integer data
items (occurrence numbers) to indexes. This conversion is necessary because the values
associated with indexes and index data items are machine-architecture related, whereas the
occurrence numbers are not.
438 Procedure Division Verbs