Rational Developer for System z
COBOL for Windows, Version 7.5, Language Reference


Category descriptions

The category of a data item is established by the attributes of its data description entry (such as its PICTURE character-string or USAGE clause) or by its function definition. The meaning of each category is given below.

Alphabetic

A data item is described as category alphabetic by its PICTURE character-string. For PICTURE character-string details, see Alphabetic items.

A data item of category alphabetic is referred to as an alphabetic data item.

Alphanumeric

Each of the following is a data item of category alphanumeric:

Alphanumeric-edited

A data item is described as category alphanumeric-edited by its PICTURE character-string. For PICTURE character-string details, see Alphanumeric-edited items.

A data item of category alphanumeric-edited is referred to as an alphanumeric-edited data item.

DBCS

A data item is described as category DBCS by its PICTURE character-string and the NSYMBOL(DBCS) compiler option or by an explicit USAGE DISPLAY-1 clause. For PICTURE character-string details, see DBCS items.

A data item of category DBCS is referred to as a DBCS data item.

External floating-point

A data item is described as category external floating-point by its PICTURE character-string. For PICTURE character-string details, see External floating-point items. An external floating-point data item can be described with USAGE DISPLAY or USAGE NATIONAL.

When the usage is DISPLAY, the item is referred to as a display floating-point data item.

When the usage is NATIONAL, the item is referred to as a national floating-point data item.

An external floating-point data item is of class numeric and, unless specifically excluded, is included in a reference to a numeric data item.

Internal floating-point

A data item is described as category internal floating-point by a USAGE clause with the COMP-1 or COMP-2 phrase.

A data item of category internal floating-point is referred to as an internal floating-point data item. An internal floating-point data item is of class numeric and, unless specifically excluded, is included in a reference to a numeric data item.

National

Each of the following is a data item of category national:

National-edited

A data item is described as category national-edited by its PICTURE character-string. For PICTURE character-string details, see National-edited items.

A data item of category national-edited is referred to as a national-edited data item.

Numeric

Each of the following is a data item of category numeric:

A data item of category numeric is referred to as a numeric data item.

Numeric-edited

Each of the following is a data item of category numeric-edited:


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