Include only part of input in output.

[Seema Jain]

If I have an input file containing data like 12345578, and I want the output to include only 5578, what would the logic for this be in COBOL?

[zum13]

Hello.

There are a couple of ways of doing it, assuming that everything is working on fixed positions.

The first is that you can split the input field into two parts, for example:

Code: Select all

       01  WA-INPUT-RECORD.
           03  WA-INPUT-FIELD.
               05  WA-INPUT-FIELD-START  PIC X(4).
               05  WA-INPUT-FIELD-END    PIC X(4).
           03  FILLER                    PIC X(72).

You then move WA-INPUT-FIELD-END to the output record.

The alternative is to substring the field in a MOVE statement:

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           MOVE WA-INPUT-FIELD (5:4) TO WA-OUTPUT-FIELD

which will copy four characters from WA-INPUT-FIELD starting at position five to WA-OUTPUT-FIELD.

[Seema Jain]

zum13
The alternative is to substring the field in a MOVE statement:

Code: Select all

           MOVE WA-INPUT-FIELD (5:4) TO WA-OUTPUT-FIELD

which will copy four characters from WA-INPUT-FIELD starting at position five to WA-OUTPUT-FIELD.

Thank you zum13. I've used this, will this work for Variable records also?

[zum13]

Yes, it will work, although it is incumbent upon you to make sure that the thing you are substringing is within the length of the current record otherwise you may well get some odd results!