IBM MAINFRAME HELP & SUPPORT FORUMS

Ananya · Joined: 26 Feb 2004 Posts: 21 Location: Chennai

Hi

I have an input data file with some 50,000 records. My requirement is to check if the value for a field is in the format "999.99".

If the data satisfies the format "999.99" then retain the record/data else
delete the record.

now how do i go about coding this in COBOL pgm? any simplest way to check if Data is in the format "999.99"

Pls help. I' have already found a way but not a feasible method. I would appreciate if any one can come out with some possible and optmised solution.

Thanks in advance. :)

With Lov,

lramani · Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 21 Location: NOIDA, India

Hi Aninya,

Was just thinking about one of the soln for ur Q.

1) First of all is this just one field that u need to check in ur file for the format??
2) Is that perticular field distinct enough. In the sense does it have a space before or after that field??

fo example if the field in the file is

ABCD 123.89 CFGK
ABC 099.12 KFGL
1234 12.34 LMNK
LKMN MNP.CC HJL

If iam not wrong u want the first two records and not the last two (considering that the second field is the one that u r checking the format). I guess this is ur requirement..right??.

Might be u could have a INSPECT tallying BEFORE and AFTER decimal(.)

but one problem is this would list even 4th record which has (MNP.CC) but u could check for IS NUMERIC and eliminate this record too.

To be very honest ..i have not worked with INSPECT TALLYING. Its on the basis of thoery that i have provided u this soln. If this soln seems to be ok or has a loop hole anywhere then please let me know in either case.

lramani · Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 21 Location: NOIDA, India

Hi Aninya,

Was just thinking about one of the soln for ur Q.

1) First of all is this just one field that u need to check in ur file for the format??
2) Is that perticular field distinct enough. In the sense does it have a space before or after that field??

fo example if the field in the file is

ABCD 123.89 CFGK
ABC 099.12 KFGL
1234 12.34 LMNK
LKMN MNP.CC HJL

If iam not wrong u want the first two records and not the last two (considering that the second field is the one that u r checking the format). I guess this is ur requirement..right??.

Might be u could have a INSPECT tallying BEFORE and AFTER decimal(.)

but one problem is this would list even 4th record which has (MNP.CC) but u could check for IS NUMERIC and eliminate this record too.

To be very honest ..i have not worked with INSPECT TALLYING. Its on the basis of thoery that i have provided u this soln. If this soln seems to be ok or has a loop hole anywhere then please let me know in either case.

lramani · Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 21 Location: NOIDA, India

hi Aninya,
First of all sorry for posting twice.
secondly...i could find a loop hole myself.
Inspect will be used for character string. Later checking the same for IS NUMERIC is not possible.

Onething that is still feasible with the same soln is
check for IS NUMERIC first.
Define another character field....to move this field and then use the inspect clause (before and after ".").

I guess that shud work...what say??