converting A-Z 0-9 to table index

David McCrina · Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 9:58 pm

Hi...I have searched the forum and could not find an answer to this, if it has already been addressed I apologize.

Here is what I would like to do:

A one character field can have a value of A-Z, 0-9. I want to use that value as an index to a table position (A-Z = positions 1-26, 0-9 = positions 27-36 in the table).

I have looked at maybe using the INSPECT CONVERTING, but that seems to be a one-to-one correspondence...you have to convert to the same length as the field you are inspecting.

I have also thought about the NUMVAL function, but does that only convert an alpha field containing numerics to a numeric field, or does it convert the value A to a numeric equivalent (like hex C1)?

Any ideas how a can make that translation from A-Z, 0-9 to 1-36?

Thanks!

Robert Sample · Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 11:11 pm

Method 1: use EVALUATE on the 1-byte variable
Method 2: use IF statements on the 1-byte variable
Method 3: use FUNCTION ORD in either EVALUATE or IF statements (this needs multiple uses since A to Z are not sequential in the collating sequence)

David McCrina · Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 11:21 pm

Thanks for the reply...I was hoping to avoid having to code 36 occurrences of either a WHEN condition or ELSE condition.

I was wondering if there was either a way to do it using a different COBOL verb or function, or a mathematical routine to make the translation.

I don't know if you could use the hex values (C1-C9, D1-D9, E2-E9, F0-F9) somehow.

I'll look at the ORD function.

David McCrina · Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 11:31 pm

Quick question...can you do something like:
INSPECT FIELD CONVERTING X'C1C2...F9' to X'0102...24'?

Akatsukami · Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 11:32 pm

Is the performance of a PERFORM VARYING unacceptable?

Bill O'Boyle · Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 11:36 pm

David,

Welcome to the forum.

Binary-Fullwords are your friend.

How about this -

David McCrina · Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 11:36 pm

David McCrina · Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 11:38 pm

Bill...thanks, that looks like a good solution. I'll give it a shot!

Bill Woodger · Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 3:53 am

Table with 36 values, PERFORM VARYING to find equal for the one you want.

SEARCH. SEARCH ALL.

Various ways relying on the right-most half-byte and the entire byte in combination.

With the INSPECT, ensure that you cater for/have catered for processing a "character" that is not A-Z or 0-9.

David McCrina · Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 8:32 am

Thanks Bill...by the time the INSPECT will be done the value would have already been validated, so we're good there.