Microsoft KB Archive/50006

Example and Explanation of COBOL 3.0 Reference Modification

PSS ID Number: Q50006 Article last modified on 04-20-1993

3.00 3.00a MS-DOS

Summary: In Microsoft COBOL Compiler Version 3.0 or 3.0a, reference modification defines a data item by specifying a leftmost character and length for the data item. In general, reference modification is allowed where any identifier referencing an alphanumeric data item is permitted. Reference modification adds flexibility to COBOL code by allowing the programmer to access, move, and use data without the need to define several sublevels in the file record definition. Reference modification is an ANSI 85 directive.

More Information: Reference modification assigns to a data item either all or part of another data item’s value. Its action simulates the BASIC MID$ function. Reference modification will work on all alphanumeric data types that are of the same type. The process thus parses information from one data item to another and creates a subset data value. The general format for reference modification is DATA-NAME (LEFTMOST-CHARACTER-POSITION : LENGTH) where DATA-NAME is either a qualified or subscripted data item and LEFTMOST-CHARACTER-POSITION and LENGTH are arithmetic expressions, either numeric literals or variables.

Code Example
$SET ANS85 DATA DIVISION. WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 77 MESSAGE1           PIC X(20) VALUE 'The entire message'. 77 MESSAGE1-PART      PIC X(10). 77 VAR1               PIC 9(5) VALUE 12. PROCEDURE DIVISION. MAIN. DISPLAY MESSAGE1 AT 0501. MOVE MESSAGE1 (VAR1:7) TO MESSAGE1-PART. DISPLAY MESSAGE1-PART AT 0701. STOP RUN. The following is the output of this program: The entire message message

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.00a Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.