Rules for Condition-Name Values
- The VALUE clause is required in a condition-name entry, and must
be the only clause in the entry. Each condition-name entry is associated
with a preceding conditional variable. Thus, every level-88 entry
must always be preceded either by the entry for the conditional variable,
or by another level-88 entry when several condition-names apply to
one conditional variable. Each such level-88 entry implicitly has
the PICTURE characteristics of the conditional variable.
- The condition-name entries associated with a particular conditional
variable must immediately follow the conditional variable entry.
The conditional variable can be any data description entry except:
- A level-66 item (RENAMES clause)
- A data item whose USAGE IS INDEX
- An item whose USAGE IS POINTER or PROCEDURE-POINTER.
- A condition-name can be associated with a group item data description
entry. In this case:
- The condition-name value must be specified as a nonnumeric literal
or figurative constant.
- The size of the condition-name value must not exceed the sum of
the sizes of all the elementary items within the group.
- No element within the group may contain a JUSTIFIED or SYNCHRONIZED
clause.
- No USAGE other than DISPLAY may be specified within the group.
- Condition-names can be specified both at the group level and at
subordinate levels within the group.
- The relation test implied by the definition of a condition-name
at the group level is performed in accordance with the rules for comparison
of nonnumeric operands, regardless of the nature of elementary items
within the group.
IBM Extension
- The VALUE clause is allowed for internal floating-point data items.
- The VALUE clause is allowed for DBCS items. Relation tests for
DBCS data items are performed according to the rules for comparison
of DBCS items.
- The VALUE clause is allowed for national items. Relation
tests for national data items are performed according to the rules
for comparison of national items.
- A condition-name can be associated
with a date, time, or timestamp item. In this case:
- The condition-name value must be specified as a non-numeric literal
- Each condition-name implicitly has the FORMAT characteristics
of the conditional variable. Thus, any relation test involving this
condition-name is performed in accordance with the rules for comparing
items of class date-time.
- A THROUGH phrase can be specified when a conditional variable
is of class date-time. In this case, the time or date of literal-1
must be less than literal-2.
End of IBM Extension
- A space, a separator comma, or a separator semicolon, must separate successive operands.
- Each entry must end with a separator period.
- The type of literal in a condition-name entry must be consistent
with the data type of its conditional variable.