IBM Extension
IBM Extension
External Floating-Point Items
- The PICTURE string must have the following form:

Format
>>-+- + -+--mantissa E--+- + -+--exponent----------------------><
'- - -' '- - -'
- + OR -
- A sign character must immediately precede both the mantissa and the exponent. A + sign indicates that a positive sign is used in the output to represent positive values and that a negative sign represents negative values. A - sign indicates that a blank is used in the output to represent positive values and that a negative sign represents negative values. Each sign position occupies one byte of storage.
- mantissa
- The mantissa may contain the symbols:
9 . VAn actual decimal point is represented with a period (.) while an assumed decimal point is represented by a V. Either an actual or an assumed decimal point must be present in the mantissa; the decimal point can be leading, embedded, or trailing. The mantissa can contain from 1 to 16 numeric characters. The . and V are not included in the count of numeric characters.
- E
- Is used to indicate the separation of the mantissa and the exponent. It is required.
- exponent
- The exponent must consist of the symbols 99 or 999.
- The OCCURS, REDEFINES, LIKE, RENAMES, and TYPEDEF clauses can be associated with external floating-point items.
- The SIGN clause is accepted as documentation and has no effect on the representation of the sign.
- The SYNCHRONIZED clause is treated as documentation.
- The following clauses are not valid with external floating-point items:
- BLANK WHEN ZERO
- JUSTIFIED
- VALUE
End of IBM Extension