Pathway/iTS SCREEN COBOL Reference Manual (H06.10+, J06.03+)

Data Division
HP NonStop Pathway/iTS SCREEN COBOL Reference Manual—426750-003
5-79
Clauses in Message Description Entry
•
Although only 30 characters can make up a character-string , you can use the
repetition technique to define items longer than 30 characters.
•
The character-string symbols that are defined in Table 5-12 are used to
describe a message field.
Table 5-12. Message Description Entry PICTURE Character-String
Symbols (page1of2)
Symbol Meaning
A Represents a character position for a letter of the alphabet or a space character.
If the character is not a letter or a space or a data bit from a PIC 1 field, it is
flagged as an error.
B Represents a character position where a space must occur in the input. The
space is deleted during conversion into its associated data item. This character
should not be used as the rightmost character of a numeric picture because
trailing spaces are removed before conversion.
P Indicates an implicit decimal position (with value zero) to be used in aligning the
decimal point in the numeric result. See the description of the V symbol for
cautions.
V Represents the assumed decimal point location in noninteger numeric items.
Only one V can appear in a PICTURE character-string, and V cannot occur with
an explicit decimal point in the same PICTURE character-string. A V is not
counted in the item's size.
X Represents any character in the ASCII character set whose numeric
representation is between 0 and 255. Each X in the character string is counted
as one character in determining the size of the message.
Z Represents a position that must be a digit or must be a space if no digits appear
to the left of the symbol. The symbol is replaced by a space during editing only
when it is one of a set of multiple Z symbols. A space is equivalent to a zero for
purposes of conversion.
1 Represents an individual bit. When used with a repeat factor of n, this field is
made up of n bits.
9 Represents a character position that must be a digit.
0 Represents a character position where a zero must appear. The zero is deleted
during conversion into the associated data item.
/ Represents a character position where a right slant must appear. The / is
deleted during conversion into the associated data item.
, Represents a character position where a comma must appear if any digits
appear to the left of it. If no digits appear to the left of the symbol, the character
must be a space (or other floating insertion character). The comma is deleted
during conversion into the associated data item.
. Represents a character position where a period must appear and indicates
decimal point alignment. The period is deleted during conversion into the
associated data item.