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
5-78
Clauses in Message Description Entry
Table 5-12. Message Description Entry PICTURE Character-String
Symbols (page 1 of 2)
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. Refer to 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.
+ Represents a position where either a plus or a minus sign must appear. Multiple
plus signs represent positions that must contain some number of digits preceded
by a single plus sign or a single minus sign, preceded by spaces. The symbol is
replaced by a space during editing only when it is one of a set of multiple plus
signs.