HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation

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Zero Suppression and Replacement Editing

8. One or more occurrences of the space symbol (Z) or the asterisk (*) define a floating suppression string, which can suppress leading zeros in numeric character positions. The space symbol (Z) causes spaces to replace the zeros; an asterisk (*) causes asterisks to replace the zeros.
   The suppression symbols are mutually exclusive. That is, character-string can contain either the space symbol (Z) or the asterisk (*), but not both.
   Each suppression symbol counts toward the size of the item.
   You can include simple insertion symbols either within the floating string or immediately to its right. These simple insertion symbols are treated as part of the floating string. That is, they appear in results only when the value of the item is large enough to include a position occupied by a simple insertion symbol.
   You can use zero suppression symbols to represent either:
   • Any or all leading numeric character positions to the left of the decimal point
   • All numeric character positions on both sides of the decimal point
     For example, both ZZZ9.99 and ZZ.ZZ are valid character-strings, but ZZZ.Z9 is not.
   
   The following actions occur if the suppression symbols represent any or all leading numeric character positions to the left of the decimal point:
   • The replacement character replaces any leading zero in the data that corresponds to a suppression symbol in the string.
   • Suppression ends at either the first nonzero digit in the data represented by the suppression string or at the decimal point, whichever appears first in the data.
   
   The following events occur if the suppression symbols represent all numeric positions in character-string:
   • If the value of the data is not zero, the result is the same as if all suppression symbols were to the left of the decimal point. That is, zeros to the right of the decimal point are not suppressed.
   • If the value is zero and the suppression symbol is a Z, all character positions in the edited item (including any editing characters) contain spaces.
   • If the value is zero and the suppression symbol is an asterisk (*), all character positions in the edited item (including any insertion editing characters other than the decimal point) contain asterisks. The decimal point appears in the item.
9. The plus sign (+), minus sign (-), asterisk (*), space (Z), and currency symbol (cs) are mutually exclusive when they are used as floating replacement characters. That is, if any one of these symbols appears as a floating replacement character, none of the other symbols can appear as a floating replacement character in the same PICTURE clause.

PICTURE Symbol Precedence Rules

1. character-string must contain either:
   • At least one of the symbols A, X, Z, 9, or asterisk (*)
   • At least two of the symbols plus sign (+), minus sign (-), or currency symbol (cs)
2. Figure 5-10 summarizes the rules for combining symbols to form character-strings more complex than the basic possibilities listed in rule 1. The table shows that the use of one symbol in a character-string excludes the use of certain others before or after it.
   The table uses the following conventions:
   • A Y at an intersection means the symbols at the top of the column (First Symbol) can precede the symbols at the left of the row (Second Symbol).
   • Braces ({ }) enclose symbols that are mutually exclusive.
   • The currency symbol appears as cs.
   • Symbols appear twice in a column or row when their rules of use depend upon their location in a character-string. These double entry symbols are as follows:
     • Fixed insertion symbols (+ and --)
     • Floating symbols Z, asterisk (*), plus sign (+), minus sign (-), and currency symbol (cs)
     • P
     
     The uppermost entry in a column (or the leftmost entry in a row) represents symbol use left of the actual or implied decimal point position. The second entry represents symbol use to the right of the decimal point.

Figure 5-10 PICTURE Symbol Precedence Rules

Additional References

• Section 5.3.46 clause
• Section 6.8.22 statement in Chapter 6
• Section 6.8.1 statement in Chapter 6
• Section 6.8.10 statement in Chapter 6

Examples

The Procedure Division entry for the MOVE statement contains examples that illustrate this clause.

5.3.38 RECORD

Function

The RECORD clause specifies the number of character positions in either a fixed- or variable-length record. If the number of character positions does not vary, the RECORD clause specifies the minimum and maximum number of character positions in a variable-length record.

shortest-rec

is an integer that specifies the minimum number of character positions in a variable-length record. Its value must be greater than or equal to zero.

longest-rec

is an integer greater than shortest-rec. It specifies the maximum number of character positions in a variable-length record or the size of a fixed-length record.

depending-item

is the data-name of an elementary unsigned integer data item in the Working-Storage or Linkage Section. It specifies the number of character positions for an output operation, and it contains the number of character positions after a successful input operation.

Syntax Rules

1. No record description entry for a file can specify the following:
   • Fewer character positions than shortest-rec
   • More character positions than longest-rec
2. In a sort-merge file description entry, the first shortest-rec character positions of the record must be large enough to include all keys specified in any SORT or MERGE statement for the sort or merge file.
3. For an indexed file, the first shortest-rec character positions of the record must be large enough to include all record keys.
4. If the DEPENDING ON phrase is present and if the associated file connector is an external file connector, depending-item must have the external attribute and must specify the same data-name in all file description entries associated with the external file connector.

General Rules

Both Formats

1. The absence of a RECORD clause is the same as a Format 1 RECORD clause with no shortest-rec phrase and with longest-rec equal to the greatest number of character positions described for any of the file's records.
2. The number of characters described by a record description entry is the sum of both of the following:
   • The number of character positions in all elementary items excluding redefinitions and renamings
   • The number of fill bytes added because of alignment requirements
   
   If the record description entry contains a table definition, the sum includes the number of character positions in the maximum number of table elements.
3. If the associated file connector is an external file connector, all file description entries in the run unit associated with that file connector must define the same values for shortest-rec and longest-rec. If the RECORD clause is not specified, all record description entries associated with this file connector must be the same length.

Format 1

4. If there is no shortest-rec phrase, Format 1 specifies fixed-length records. longest-rec then specifies the number of character positions in each record of the file.
5. If there is a shortest-rec phrase, Format 1 specifies variable-length records, the same as Format 2 without the DEPENDING phrase.
6. For variable-length records:
   • The maximum record size for a READ or RETURN operation is the number of character positions described in the largest record description entry for the file.
   • During execution of a RELEASE, REWRITE, or WRITE statement, the number of character positions in a record equals the number of character positions in the record description entry referred to by the statement.
   • If all record description entries for the file describe records of the same size, RELEASE, REWRITE, and WRITE statements for the file transfer fixed-length records in variable-length format.

Format 2

7. Format 2 specifies variable-length records.
8. If the clause does not contain shortest-rec, the minimum number of character positions in any of the file's records is the least number of character positions described by a record description entry for the file.
9. If the clause does not contain longest-rec, the maximum number of character positions in any of the file's records is the greatest number of character positions described by a record description entry for the file.
10. If there is a DEPENDING phrase, the program must set depending-item to the number of character positions in the record before executing a RELEASE, REWRITE, or WRITE statement for the file.
11. After successful execution of a READ or RETURN statement for the file, the value of depending-item indicates the number of character positions in the accessed record.
12. The depending-item value is not changed by executions of:
    • DELETE and START statements
    • Unsuccessful READ and RETURN statements
13. For RELEASE, REWRITE, and WRITE statement execution, determining the number of character positions in the record depends partly upon whether or not the record contains a variable occurrence item (an item described by the OCCURS clause or one that is subordinate to another item so described). During execution of these statements, three rules determine the number of character positions in the record:
    • If there is a depending-item, its value specifies the number of character positions.
    • If there is no depending-item and the record does not contain a variable occurrence item, the number of character positions described by the record description entry specifies the number of character positions.
    • If there is no depending-item and the record contains a variable occurrence item, the number of character positions is the sum of the character positions in the fixed part of the record and the table elements specified by the OCCURS clause depending-item when the output statement executes.