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

BLANK

adds an implicit VALUE SPACES clause to the description of:

• Every data item in the Working-Storage Section and Extended-Storage Section, except

those to which an explicit VALUE clause or an EXTERNAL clause applies

• Every data item in the File Section, except those to which an EXTERNAL clause applies

BLANK increases the size of the object file and can increase execution time.

NOBLANK

prevents the addition of implicit VALUE SPACES clauses.

NOBLANKDefault:

AnywherePlacement:

The last BLANK or NOBLANK in the program is applies.Scope:

NoneDependencies:

Program units compiled with BLANK (or for which BLANK is the default) include code that performs

implicit and explicit initializations. Program units compiled with NOBLANK (or for which NOBLANK

is the default) do not provide this automatic initialization, and any data item without a VALUE

clause has an undefined initial value.

NOBLANK is recommended for initial programs and programs that declare very large data items

that do not have initial values assigned, because it saves significant amounts of compilation time,

object program storage space on disk, and run-time initialization time. If you must initialize very

large data items to spaces, use VALUE clauses, INITIALIZE statements, or MOVE statements of the

form

MOVE SPACES TO X

VALUE clauses are recommended.

CALL-SHARED

generates shared code (PIC).

NON-SHARED

has no effect. (For the NMCOBOL compiler, it generates nonshared code (non-PIC)).

SHARED

generates shared code (PIC) for a DLL.

CALL-SHAREDDefault:

AnywherePlacement:

The last CALL-SHARED or SHARED in the compilation unit applies to the entire

compilation unit.

Scope:

540 Program Compilation