Chapter 8: Data Structures

This chapter contains information on navigating using APS painters, coding data structures, and the data structures themselves.

Painter Navigation

Coding Data Structures

Observe the following when coding data structures:

Code a data structure as follows:
```
dataelementname PICformat
```
Dataelementname must be valid COBOL name, maximum 30 characters, or expression introduced by one of the macro default symbols, &, <, $, or ]. PICformat must be a valid COBOL or APS shorthand picture format.
Do not enter the hierarchical level numbers, except for 66, 77, or 88. Indent each level (except the first) of a data structure a consistent number of spaces.
Enter one dataelementname per line only.
You cannot use the APS shorthand picture format in conjunction with the PIC clause; you must use valid COBOL syntax.
Code comments as follows:
```
* comment
/* comment
%* comment
```
Code continuation as follows: ellipsis followed by a space (... ).

Data Structures

RENAMES

66   anytext

88

88   dataname VALUE 'value1' [THRU 'value2']
...                        'value3' [THRU 'value4']
...                        'value5' [THRU 'value6']
  .
  .
...                        'valueN' [THRU 'valueN']

Edit Masks

  A  P  Z  +  -  *  B  $  0

OCCURS

  (number) [TIMES]
  (number1-number2)
  dataname (number1 TO number2)
  (&variable)
  (&variable1 TO &variable2)
 
[... DO|ODO dataname]
[... IX|IB|IXB|IXBY dataname]
[... ASCENDING KEY IS dataname] 
[... DESCENDING KEY IS dataname]
 ... PICformat

Picture Formats

APS Shorthand	Generated COBOL
9	PIC 9.
99	PIC 99.
999	PIC 999.
9999	PIC 9999.
9(n)	PIC 9(n).
9n	PIC 9(n).
9&variable	PIC 9(&variable).
S&variable	PIC S9(&variable).
SYNC	SYNCHRONIZED
V(n)	PIC V9(n).
Vn	PIC V9(n).
V&variable	PIC V9(&variable).
Vvalueclause	VALUE valueclause
X	PIC X.
XX	PIC XX.
XXX	PIC XXX.
XXXX	PIC XXXX.
Xn	PIC X(n).
X(n)	PIC X(n).
X&variable	PIC X(&variable).
...	Continuation of a data element.

REDEFINES

dataname REDEF[INES]|R PICformat

VALUE

dataname PICformat
[...] [VALUE|V] 'valueclause'

Commands

Enter any of the following in the Command field.

CONVERT\|CONV	Convert shorthand format to valid COBOL format to preview results of generated code.
GENERATE\|GEN [number]	Convert data structure to valid COBOL format and export it to copylib. Number = level number.
UNCONV\|UNC	Cancel the effects of, or unconvert, the CONVERT command. Required after CONVERT.
VALIDATE\|VAL	Validate syntax and display error messages.