The standard alignment rules for positioning data in
an elementary item depend on the category of a receiving item (that is, an item into
which the data is moved; see Elementary moves).
- Numeric
- For numeric receiving items, the following rules apply:
- The data is aligned on the assumed decimal point and, if necessary, truncated or
padded with zeros. (An assumed decimal point is one that has logical meaning but that does not exist as
an actual character in the data.)
- If an assumed decimal point is not explicitly specified, the receiving item is
treated as though an assumed decimal point is specified immediately to the right of the
field. The data is then treated according to the preceding rule.
- Numeric-edited
- The data is aligned on the decimal point, and (if necessary) truncated or padded with
zeros at either end except when editing causes replacement of leading zeros.
- Internal floating-point
- A decimal point is assumed immediately to the left of the field. The data is then
aligned on the leftmost digit position that follows the decimal point, with the exponent
adjusted accordingly.
- External floating-point
- The data is aligned on the leftmost digit position; the exponent is adjusted
accordingly.
- Alphanumeric, alphanumeric-edited, alphabetic, DBCS
- For these receiving items, the following rules apply:
- The data is aligned at the leftmost character position, and (if necessary) truncated
or padded with spaces at the right.
- If the JUSTIFIED clause is specified for this receiving item, the above rule is
modified as described in JUSTIFIED clause.
-
National, national-edited
- For these receiving items, the following rules apply:
- The data is aligned at the leftmost character position, and (if necessary) truncated
or padded with default Unicode spaces (NX'0020') at the right. Truncation occurs at the
boundary of a national character position.
- If the JUSTIFIED clause is specified for this receiving item, the above rule is
modified as described in JUSTIFIED clause.