Unfortunately, that's not how that clause works. I'm not in work at the moment to prove it but I believe that if you specify that clause then all your picture clauses must be in European format. That clause just directs the compiler to accept picture clauses in European format otherwise if you specify that clause and have a UK/US picture clause you get a compile error. I'll check it out tomorrow.
Jim McAlpine On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 5:33 PM, Farley, Peter x23353 < [email protected]> wrote: > > -----Original Message----- > > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On > > Behalf Of Jim McAlpine > > Sent: Friday, April 03, 2009 12:10 PM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: COBOL and European edit masks > > > > We have a large application with thousands of COBOL programs many of > which > > have edit masks UK/USA style ie with comma separators and decimal > > points like so - 999,999,999.99. We need to alter the picture clauses > so > > they cause the numeric edited items to appear in European format ie > with > > the > > "," and "." transposed like so - 999.999.999,99. Is there any way to > > accomplish this automagically in COBOL. We are trying not to have to > find > > and edit every edit mask in every program which would be a very large > and > > onerous undertaking. > > > > Any ideas very much welcomed. > > Jim, > > The programs still have to be changed, but the change is common for all > of them. You have to add a SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph in the CONFIGURATION > SECTION of the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION, like this: > > ENVIRONMENT DIVISION. > CONFIGURATION SECTION. > SPECIAL-NAMES. > DECIMAL POINT IS COMMA. > > None of your PICTURE clauses has to change at all, this will > automatically interchange all the commas and periods at compile time. > > Obviously a program compiled with this clause will *ONLY* produce > European-style edited numbers. Your US/UK and European programs will > need to be separate from each other. > > AFAIK there is no run-time option to do this, only compile-time. > > HTH > > Peter > This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the > addressee and > may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If the reader > of the > message is not the intended recipient or an authorized representative of > the > intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination of this > communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this > communication in > error, please notify us immediately by e-mail and delete the message and > any > attachments from your system. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [email protected] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO > Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
