Category descriptions
The category of a data item is established by the attributes of its data description entry (such as its PICTURE character-string or USAGE clause) or by its function definition.
The meaning of each category is given below.
Alphabetic
A data item is described as category alphabetic by its PICTURE character-string. For PICTURE character-string details, see Alphabetic items.
A data item of category alphabetic is referred to as an alphabetic data item.
Alphanumeric
Each of the following data items is of category alphanumeric:
- An elementary data item described as alphanumeric by its PICTURE character-string. For PICTURE character-string details, see Alphanumeric items.
- An alphanumeric group item.
- An alphanumeric function.
- The following special registers:
- DEBUG-ITEM
- SHIFT-OUT
- SHIFT-IN
- SORT-CONTROL
- SORT-MESSAGE
- WHEN-COMPILED
- XML-EVENT
- XML-TEXT
Alphanumeric-edited
A data item is described as category alphanumeric-edited by its PICTURE character-string. For PICTURE character-string details, see Alphanumeric-edited items.
A data item of category alphanumeric-edited is referred to as an alphanumeric-edited data item.
DBCS
A data item is described as category DBCS by its PICTURE character-string and the NSYMBOL(DBCS) compiler option or by an explicit USAGE DISPLAY-1 clause. For PICTURE character-string details, see DBCS items.
A data item of category DBCS is referred to as a DBCS data item.
External floating-point
A data item is described as category external floating-point by its PICTURE character-string. For PICTURE character-string details, see External floating-point items. An external floating-point data item can be described with USAGE DISPLAY or USAGE NATIONAL.
When the usage is DISPLAY, the item is referred to as a display floating-point data item.
When the usage is NATIONAL, the item is referred to as a national floating-point data item.
An external floating-point data item is of class numeric and, unless specifically excluded, is included in a reference to a numeric data item.
Internal floating-point
A data item is described as category internal floating-point by a USAGE clause with the COMP-1 or COMP-2 phrase.
A data item of category internal floating-point is referred to as an internal floating-point data item. An internal floating-point data item is of class numeric and, unless specifically excluded, is included in a reference to a numeric data item.
National
Each of the following data items is of category national:
- A data item that is described as category national by its PICTURE character-string and the NSYMBOL(NATIONAL) compiler option or by an explicit USAGE NATIONAL clause. For PICTURE character-string details, see National items.
- A group item explicitly or implicitly described with a GROUP-USAGE NATIONAL clause.
- A national function.
- The special register XML-NTEXT.
National-edited
A data item is described as category national-edited by its PICTURE character-string. For PICTURE character-string details, see National-edited items.
A data item of category national-edited is referred to as a national-edited data item.
Numeric
Each of the following data items is of category numeric:
- An elementary data item described as numeric by its PICTURE character-string and not described with a BLANK WHEN ZERO clause. For PICTURE character-string details, see Numeric items.
- An elementary data item described with one of the
following usages:
- BINARY, COMPUTATIONAL, COMPUTATIONAL-4, COMPUTATIONAL-5, COMP, COMP-4, or COMP-5
- PACKED-DECIMAL, COMPUTATIONAL-3, or COMP-3
- A special register of numeric
type:
- JSON-CODE
JSON-STATUS
- LENGTH OF
- LINAGE-COUNTER
- RETURN-CODE
- SORTCORE-SIZE
- SORT-FILE-SIZE
- SORT-MODE-SIZE
- SORT-RETURN
- TALLY
- XML-CODE
- A numeric function.
- An integer function.
A data item of category numeric is referred to as a numeric data item.
Numeric-edited
Each of the following data items is of category numeric-edited:
- A data item described as numeric-edited by its PICTURE character-string. For PICTURE character-string details, see Numeric-edited items.
- A data item described as numeric by its PICTURE character-string and described with a BLANK WHEN ZERO clause.