Jim, I'm not sure that I fully understand your question. DS defines or maps storage.
In a CSECT or RSECT it defines the extent and makeup of storage WITHOUT initializing it. In a DSECT it merely maps storage, provides one of perhaps several alternative interpretations of the data type or data types and numbers of the elements in some block of storage. Nominal values, as I said in my earlier post, are optional and usually dispensable in DSs but not in DCs. Offhand, I can think of no real use for nominal values in any but packed-decimal fields, but I have a nagging sense that I am being dumb about this, that there may be some few others. They are, however, unusual; and they should, I think, be avoided where they are dispensable. John Gilmore, Ashland MA 01721 - USA ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
