5.3.11.1 "COBOL Language Reference" IBM Library Server

5.3.11.1 Symbols Used in the PICTURE Clause

The meaning of each PICTURE clause symbol is defined in Table 12 in topic 5.3.11.1. The sequence in which PICTURE clause symbols must be specified is shown in Figure 6 in topic 5.3.11.1. More detailed explanations of PICTURE clause symbols follow the figures.

Any punctuation character appearing within the PICTURE character-string is not considered a punctuation character, but rather a PICTURE character-string symbol.

When specified in the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph, DECIMAL-POINT IS COMMA exchanges the functions of the period and the comma in PICTURE character strings and in numeric literals.

The lowercase letters corresponding to the uppercase letters representing the following PICTURE symbols are equivalent to their uppercase representations in a PICTURE character-string:

A, B, P, S, V, X, Z, CR, DB X E, G, N

X All other lowercase letters are not equivalent to their corresponding
X uppercase representations.

The heading Size refers to the number of bytes the symbol contributes to the actual size of the data item.

In the following description of the PICTURE clause, cs indicates any valid currency symbol. For details, see "Currency Symbol" in topic 5.3.11.1.2.

Symbol	Meaning	Size	Restrictions

Table 12. PICTURE Clause Symbol Meanings
A	A character position that can contain only a letter of the alphabet or a space.	Occupies 1 byte
B X X X X X X X X	For Non-DBCS data--a character position into which the space character is inserted.	Occupies 1 byte	X X X X X X X X
B X X X X X X X X	X For DBCS data--a X character position X into which a DBCS X space is inserted. X Represents a single X DBCS character X position containing X a DBCS space.	X Occupies 2 bytes X X X X X X X	X X X X X X X X
X E X X X X	X Marks the start of X the exponent in an X external X floating-point X item.	X Occupies 1 byte X X X X	X X X X X
X G X X X X X X X X X X X X X X	X A DBCS character X position X X X X X X X X X X X X X	X Occupies 2 bytes X X X X X X X X X X X X X X	X Cannot be specified X for a non-DBCS X item. X Under AIX, OS/2, X and Windows, the X locale you select X must indicate a X DBCS code page. X For information on X locale, see X Appendix F, "Locale X Considerations X (Workstation Only)" X in X topic APPENDIX1.6.
X N X X X X X X X X X X X X X X	X A DBCS character X position X X X X X X X X X X X X X	X Occupies 2 bytes X X X X X X X X X X X X X X	X Cannot be specified X for a non-DBCS X item. X Under AIX, OS/2, X and Windows, the X locale you select X must indicate a X DBCS code page. X For information on X locale, see X Appendix F, "Locale X Considerations X (Workstation Only)" X in X topic APPENDIX1.6.
P	An assumed decimal scaling position. Used to specify the location of an assumed decimal point when the point is not within the number that appears in the data item. See also "P Symbol" in topic 5.3.11.1.1.	Not counted in the size of the data item. Scaling position characters are counted in determining the maximum number of digit positions (18) in numeric-edited items or in items that appear as arithmetic operands. The size of the value is the number of digit positions represented by the PICTURE character-string.	Can appear only as a continuous string of Ps in the leftmost or rightmost digit positions within a PICTURE character-string.
S	An indicator of the presence (but not the representation nor, necessarily, the position) of an operational sign. An operational sign indicates whether the value of an item involved in an operation is positive or negative.	Not counted in determining the size of the elementary item, unless an associated SIGN clause specifies the SEPARATE CHARACTER phrase (which would occupy 1 byte).	Must be written as the leftmost character in the PICTURE string.
V	An indicator of the location of the assumed decimal point. Does not represent a character position. When the assumed decimal point is to the right of the rightmost symbol in the string, the V is redundant.	Not counted in the size of the elementary item	Can appear only once in a character-string.
X	A character position that can contain any allowable character from the character set of the computer.	Occupies 1 byte
Z	A leading numeric character position. When that position contains a zero, a space character replaces the zero.	Each 'Z' is counted in the size of the data item.
9	A character position that contains a numeral.	Each '9' is counted in the size of the data item.
0	A character position into which the numeral zero is inserted.	Each '0' is counted in the size of the data item.
/	A character position into which the slash character is inserted.	Each '/' is counted in the size of the data item.
, X X X X X X X X X X X X	A character position into which a comma is inserted. X X X X X X X X X X X X	Each ',' is counted in the size of the data item. X X X X X X X X X X X X	If the comma insertion character is the last symbol in the PICTURE character-string, the PICTURE clause must be the last clause of the data description entry and must be immediately followed by the separator period. X A trailing comma X insertion character X can be immediately X followed by the X separator comma or X separator X semicolon; in this X case, the PICTURE X clause need not be X the last clause of X the data X description entry.
. X X X X X X X X X X X X	An editing symbol that represents the decimal point for alignment purposes. In addition, it represents a character position into which a period is inserted. X X X X X X X X X X X X	Each '.' is counted in the size of the data item. X X X X X X X X X X X X	If the period insertion character is the last symbol in the PICTURE character-string, the PICTURE clause must be the last clause of that data description entry and must be immediately followed by the separator period. X A trailing period X insertion character X can be immediately X followed by the X separator comma or X separator X semicolon; in this X case, the PICTURE X clause need not be X the last clause of X the data X description entry.
+ - CR DB	Editing sign control symbols. Each represents the character position into which the editing sign control symbol is placed.	Each character used in the symbol is counted in determining the size of the data item.	The symbols are mutually exclusive in one character-string.
*	A check protect symbol--a leading numeric character position into which an asterisk is placed when that position contains a zero.	Each asterisk (*) is counted in the size of the item.
`cs`	Currency symbol, representing a character position into which a currency sign value is placed. The default currency symbol is the dollar sign ($). For details, see "Currency Symbol" in topic 5.3.11.1.2.	The first occurrence of a currency symbol adds the number of characters in the currency sign value to the size of the data item. Each subsequent occurrence adds one character to the size of the data item.

Figure 6 shows the sequence in which PICTURE clause symbols must be specified.

Figure 6. PICTURE Clause Symbol Sequence

Figure Legend:

·

Closed circle indicates that the symbol(s) at the top of the column can, in a given character-string, appear anywhere to the left of the symbol(s) at the left of the row.

X þ

Closed square indicates that the item is an IBM
X extension.

{ }

Braces indicate items that are mutually exclusive.

Symbols that appear twice

Nonfloating insertion symbols + and -, floating insertion symbols Z, *, +, -, and cs, and the symbol P appear twice. The leftmost column and uppermost row for each symbol represents its use to the left of the decimal point position. The second appearance of the symbol in the table represents its use to the right of the decimal point position.

Subtopics:

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5.3.11.1 Symbols Used in the PICTURE Clause

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