Where national literals can be used

National literals can be used in multiple ways.

National literals can be used:

  • In a VALUE clause associated with a data item of class national or a VALUE clause associated with a condition-name for a conditional variable that is defined with usage NATIONAL
  • In figurative constant ALL
  • In a relation condition
  • In the WHEN phrase of a format-2 SEARCH statement (binary search)
  • In the ALL, LEADING, or FIRST phrase of an INSPECT statement
  • In the BEFORE or AFTER phrase of an INSPECT statement
  • In the DELIMITED BY phrase of a STRING statement
  • In the DELIMITED BY phrase of an UNSTRING statement
  • As the method-name in a METHOD-ID paragraph, an END METHOD marker, and an INVOKE statement
  • As an argument passed BY CONTENT in the CALL statement
  • As an argument passed BY VALUE in an INVOKE or CALL statement
  • In the DISPLAY and EVALUATE statements
  • As a sending item in the following procedural statements:
    • INITIALIZE
    • INSPECT
    • MOVE
    • STRING
    • UNSTRING
  • In the argument list to the following intrinsic functions:

    DISPLAY-OF, LENGTH, LOWER-CASE, MAX, MIN, ORD-MAX, ORD-MIN, REVERSE, UPPER-CASE, USUPPLEMENTARY and UVALID

    Note: DBCS literals can't be used in the USUPPLEMENTARY and UVALID functions.
  • In the compiler-directing statements COPY, REPLACE, and TITLE

A national literal can be used only as specified in the detailed rules in this document.