Extracting a packed decimal data from Alphanumeric field

aravindunlimited · New User Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 16

In my program I am recieving an ALPHANUMERIC field which may contain a proper numeric value, a character value or a packed numeric value(COMP-3).
I know before hand that the field is going to be one of the three with the help of an indicator.

Now I dont have problem to read the numeric and character.

But how to extract the COMP-3 from the alphanumeric, as it could be any non-display junk the program abends around that area if I am use NUMVAL.

Is there anyway I can extract the numeric data from the Alphanumeric field?

Phrzby Phil · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:26 am

If its the full length, can't you just REDEFINE a varname which has a packed-dec PIC?

dick scherrer · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:05 am

Hello,

If it is not the full length, please post a few examples showing the various data the field might contain. It would be best to post these values in hex and explain what part of the content should be the comp-3 output.

Bill O'Boyle · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 6:10 pm

Are the indicators unique in the ALPHANUMERIC field?

Is their a length associated with the data?

You could search for the target indicator and when you find it (and depending on the data-type), move the sending data (via reference modification) to the proper WS field, redefined as PIC X.

Then, perform the test (using the proper WS field) as to whether the data is numeric or not.

For example, if the sending data is X'01234C' (3-bytes packed-decimal signed/COMP-3), then move it to a redefined PIC X equivilent of a PIC S9(05) COMP-3 field and perform a NUMERIC test on the COMP-3 field.

HTH....

Regards,

Bill

aravindunlimited · New User Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 16

The problem is that the length of the field is variable, I am reading a file using the starting point and length field. like
MOVE FILE(X:Y) TO TEMP-FIELD

Now that field could be a COMP3, FILE(X:Y) always bring in as a alphanumeric field so I am not able to use a NUMVAL also.

Currently I am going to try out the INSPECT option, will this work?

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:49 pm

Hello,

If you will post several examples of the data you are working with (and maybe explain how you knew the reference modification values), we should be able to offer suggestions.

CICS Guy · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:54 pm

One thing I have used to prevent NUMVAL from erroring is to mone the field to a subfield next to a predefined subfield with a numeric zero in it ant then NUMVAL the combined fields, then if there was no valid numerics in the moved field, the value would be zero.....
Also look at NUMVAL-C......

aravindunlimited · New User Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 16

e.g

in my file position 5->12 is always COMP-3 variable. I have another field as well starting from 16->20 which is also COMP-3

Reference data:
SALARY
FIELD-START = 5
LENGTH = 8
TYPE = PD

INTEREST
FIELD-START = 16
LENGTH = 5
TYPE = PD

I am reading the file in this manner.

EVALUATE TRUE

WHEN PACK-DECIMAL
WHEN BIN-DECIMAL
COMPUTE WS-FIELD-VAL-NUM = FUNCTION
NUMVAL(WS-RECORD(WS-FIELD-START:
WS-FLENGTH(WX-FIELD-INDEX)))
MOVE WS-FIELD-VAL-NUM
TO WS-FIELD-VALUE

WHEN OTHER
MOVE WS-RECORD(WS-FIELD-START:
WS-FLENGTH(WX-FIELD- INDEX))
TO WS-FIELD-VALUE

But this one doesnt work as the NUMVAL is not able to identify whether it is a COMP-3 data or some genuine junk data.

CICS Guy · Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:23 pm

aravindunlimited · New User Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 16

I am not defining junk, I am just unable to read that field as comp-3 copied to a generic variable.

either I have to have a COMP-3 redefine of each and every length or any other better generic solution

Craq Giegerich · Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:41 pm

There is a similar discussion going on in FAQ. I wonder if it is the same project? It can be done but I won't be a party to such a mess. I feel sorry for the customers.

aravindunlimited · New User Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 16

It is something like this, out a 1000 fields in a file on day 1. I have to identify which ones have changed on day 2. and only pick them.
I am able to pick the changed values if it is char or num, but for comp and comp-3 I am not able to read the value(But I am able to understand that this has changed).

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:42 am

Hello,

If your only concern is whether the field changed or not just compare the fields as PIC X. . .

If they are the same, no change occurred. If the pic x values are not the same, something changed between day1 and day2. Do whatever you need with the "changes".

Remember - this will only work testing for equal/not equal.

aravindunlimited · New User Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 16

That is the problem I want the change. and the info I have is

position: x
lenght: y
type: BI

Now how will I extract it. Is there any concept of variable length field like VARCHAR

dick scherrer · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:40 pm

Hello,

It would be fairly simple to identify individual bytes that were different. If you want to identify entire fields that are different, you would need to create an array which is an index/glossary/directory (whatever term you prefer) of the length and displacement of each field. It would also be good to include the field-name in this array.

Bill O'Boyle · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:54 pm

Is this a Bit-Map formatted message-area, such as a Visa, MasterCard, JCB, etc Authorisation request and you're trying to extract (parse) this data?

Just curious....

Regards,

Bill

Marso · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:32 pm

From what I understood, in the MOVE FILE(X:Y) TO TEMP-FIELD,
the part FILE(X:Y) contains exactly the comp-3 value.
If we define TEMP-FIELD-R PIC X(8) JUST RIGHT,
then we may be able to get somewhere.
After MOVE FILE(X:Y) TO TEMP-FIELD-R,
we can calculate the length of the left part (Z = 8 - Y)
and MOVE LOW-VALUES TO TEMP-FIELD-R (1:Z)
Then use a REDEFINES to have a working COMP-3 field.

Does it work? Anybody tempted to write down some code?

dick scherrer · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:23 pm

Hello,

If i understand correctly (and i may not

), comparing the characters in the fields and reporting the differences (in hex) will provide the required output with no need to find a way to work with comp-3 data.

mmwife · Super Moderator Joined: 30 May 2003 Posts: 1592

Here's something that might work. The PD pseudo code looks OK (haven't tested). The BI section needs more definition by the OP.

Eg. Do the BI fld lengths limit themselves to 2, 4, 8 or can they be any lengths within the 8 byte COMP limit. If so, that raises the ques of negative binary number represtntation (hi order bits of 1).

PS. I used pic s9(18) as the limit. If arith extend is used that would change.

What say you Arav?