How to Redefines a Varible to Edited Class

ajithkumarsl · New User Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 19 Location: Chennai

Hello,

In cobol can we use the following variable declaration?

03 VAR-1 PIC 9(4).
03 VAR-2 REDEFINES VAR-1 PIC ZZZ9.

Thanks

Manuneedhi K · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:49 pm

You can redefine 9(4) into ZZZ9.

But you got the syntax wrong. It has to be like this

03 VAR-1 PIC 9(4).
03 VAR-2 REDEFINES VAR-1.
05 VAR-3 PIC ZZZ9.

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:32 pm

Manu, the OP's syntax is correct.

Ajith,

I hope you don't think you can move something to var1 and then expect to move an edited var2. though you could move var1 (0099) to var2 and then var2 would contain ' 99'.

Manuneedhi K · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:47 pm

Yes his syntax is right. My bad. I had a different error while trying to test it and thought it had to do with the syntax.

ajithkumarsl · New User Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 19 Location: Chennai

Thanks Manu and Dick for your replay.

Dick,

What I felt is - why to take more space for an edited variable.
IF we declare Var1 and Var2 as two variables it will take twice the memory space.

Do any syntax is there that we can refer the same space?

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 5:32 pm

Hi,

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

Hi Ajith,

The danger in doing that is knowing at any point in the code what VAR1/2 contains, e.g.:

line 100 move 99 to VAR2
line 1250 add 1 to VAR1 (this will cause an abend).

dick scherrer · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:25 pm

Hello,

ajithkumarsl · New User Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 19 Location: Chennai

Thanks Dick and Anuj.

Dick, I am using the Var1 for populating the page number.

So I am sure that it will always have a valid number.
The only need is to suppress the preceding zeros.
Hope this makes the requirement more clear.

Thanks

dick scherrer · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 9:46 am

Hello Ajith,

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:22 am

Hi,

ajithkumarsl · New User Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 19 Location: Chennai

Hi Anuj,

I have declared two variables(Var1 and Var2 Separately) and done that.
But I couldn't redefine and do.

I am asking this because if next time a same case happen I have to be in a position to handle that.
Now the need came for only one Variable of length 4 but if it is more, I feel, it will be more critical to find a solution.

So temporarily the problem is solved.

Thanks

dick scherrer · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:41 pm

Hello,

ajithkumarsl · New User Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Posts: 19 Location: Chennai

Thanks for your help..