After you have defined a data item, you can assign a value to it at any time. Assignment takes many forms in COBOL, depending on what you want to do.
| What you want to do | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Assign values to a data item or large data area. | Use one of these ways:
|
| Assign the results of arithmetic. | Use COMPUTE, ADD, SUBTRACT, MULTIPLY, or DIVIDE statements. |
| Examine or replace characters or groups of characters in a data item. | Use the INSPECT statement. |
| Receive values from a file. | Use the READ (or READ INTO) statement. |
| Receive values from a system input device or a file. | Use the ACCEPT statement. |
| Establish a constant. | Use the VALUE clause in the definition of the data item, and do not use the data item as a receiver. Such an item is in effect a constant even though the compiler does not enforce read-only constants. |
One of these actions:
|
Use the SET statement. |
Examples: initializing data items
related tasks
Initializing a structure (INITIALIZE)
Assigning values to elementary data items (MOVE)
Assigning values to group data items (MOVE)
Assigning input from a screen or file (ACCEPT)
Joining data items (STRING)
Splitting data items (UNSTRING)
Assigning arithmetic results (MOVE or COMPUTE)
Tallying and replacing data items (INSPECT)
Processing data in an international environment