COBOL Manual for TNS and TNS/R Programs

Language Elements
HP COBOL Manual for TNS and TNS/R Programs—522555-006
3-24
PICTURE Character-Strings
PICTURE Character-Strings
PICTURE character-strings (character-strings in the PICTURE clause) use the COBOL
character set as described in PICTURE Clause. The editing characters in Table 3-6
specify the editing operations that a process performs on data when storing it in data
items. The compiler recognizes these characters as editing characters only within
PICTURE clauses. In all other places, these characters follow the rules for character-
strings and separators.
Comments
A comment-entry or a comment line can contain any combination of characters in the
computer’s character set. Both types of comments are character-strings that serve only
to document a program. A comment-entry follows a paragraph header in the
Identification Division and can continue on additional lines. A comment line is any line
anywhere in the source text that has a comment character in the indicator field.
Table 3-6. PICTURE Character-String Editing Characters
Character Editing Operation
B Space insertion
Z Zero suppression
0Zero
+Plus
- Minus
CR Credit
DB Debit
* Check protect
$ Dollar sign
, Comma or decimal point
. Period or decimal point
/Slash