Pathway/iTS SCREEN COBOL Reference Manual (G06.24+, H06.03+, Pathway/iTS 1.0+)

Data Division
Compaq NonStop™ Pathway/iTS SCREEN COBOL Reference Manual—426750-001
5-77
Clauses in Message Description Entry
MESSAGE SECTION.
01 Msg4-Out.
05 MS-Record-1 PIC X
FROM WS-Record-1
OCCURS 1 TO 10 TIMES
DEPENDING ON WS-Length-1.
05 MS-Record-2 PIC X
FROM WS-Record-2
OCCURS 1 TO 10 TIMES
DEPENDING ON WS-Length-2.
PICTURE Clause
The PICTURE clause specifies the length, data type, and editing format of a message
field.
character-string
is a symbol that determines the category of a field, places restrictions on values
assignable to the field, and defines editing operations.
The character-string can take the same form as that described in the data
description entry with the following exceptions:
•
Numeric edited and alphanumeric edited forms are allowed.
•
Bit fields are allowed.
The maximum message size is 32,000 bytes.
The following rules apply:
•
A maximum of 30 characters is allowed in character-string. When the same
PICTURE character repeats, you can write it once followed by an unsigned integer
enclosed in parentheses. The integer indicates how many times that character is
repeated. For example, the following are equivalent:
PIC 9(5)
PIC 99999.
•
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.
{ PIC } [ IS ] character-string
{ PICTURE }
Note. Each message field description must include a PICTURE clause.