Defining numeric data type in Sort

harsh singh · New User Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 26 Location: INDIA

Hi
i tried to dig out the portal for solving my confusion but my effort went in vain, please try to help me.
I have a account number field which is of numeric datatype in my master file , say
ACCT-NO PIC 9(16).

I tried to sort the file on this account no field
Sort card used by me is
SORT FIELDS=(736,16,ZD,A)

to my curiosity i tried sorting the file with below sort card too
SORT FIELDS=(736,16BI,A)
to my surprise the output(sort account no) using both card are same.
I tried to investigate why the output are same for both sort card but could not reach any solution.

I believe the storing technique in memory is different for BI datatype and ZD datatype so either of the one should give errors but this actually did not happened.

Please let me know the correct data type to be used in SORT for numeric data type and what is the possible reason of not encountering any error using above cards( i believe that either of the card suits the requirement).

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:20 pm

Maybe PIC 9(16) is not zoned decimal?

harsh singh · New User Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 26 Location: INDIA

pic 9(16) is PIC 9(n) DISPLAY and is of format ZD in DFSORT format
As far as the account no is concerned i believe that they are mapped in memory as type Zoned decimal not Binary.
What does you suggest sir ?
If my understanding is correct and it is of type ZD then Sort card with type as BI should gives error . Please advise.

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:52 pm

PIC 9(n) display is nothing but Character or x type, unsigned, which is why the BI works.

ZD is Zoned Decimal, signed

here is the link to the page in the reference manual.

I promised Frank and Kolusu to stay out of DFSORT questions,
but this is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo basic.

harsh singh · New User Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 26 Location: INDIA

thank you dick for coming up with a valid reason,unfortunanetly it did not clicked me.

dick scherrer · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:47 pm

Hello,

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:14 pm

there is no signed field involved.

dick scherrer · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:23 pm

Hi Dick,

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:42 pm

but what you said was true

Frank Yaeger · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:52 pm

ZD is the correct format to use for zoned decimal numeric values. ZD will handle signed and unsigned zoned decimal values correctly.

BI will give the correct results for zoned decimal values as long as they all have the same sign, but may or may not give the correct results if all of the values don't have the same sign.

For example, if we have 2-byte ZD values like this:

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:02 pm

Frank,

then what you are saying is that DFSORT considers both:
PIC 9(n)
PIC S9(n)

as zoned decimal.

In that case, I was wrong and owe Harsh an apology.

Harsh,

the reason that both ZD and BI sorted the same in this case
is because the ZD treated the unsigned numeric as positive,
which gives the same output sequence as BI,
as Dick said.

Frank Yaeger · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:13 pm

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:27 pm

thx Frank,

I looked at DFSORT Data Formats instead of DFSORT Formats for COBOL Data Types

my bad. back to making noooo posts in DFSORT forum.