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Status Future consideration
Workspace COBOL Compilers
Categories z/OS
Created by Guest
Created on Jul 12, 2023

RELATED IDEAS

Implement: 01 var1 LIKE var2.

See this idea on ideas.ibm.com

Often variables are defined in copybooks or DCLGEN copybooks. There are times when the definition in that copybook changes slightly and it would be nice if a developer could simply rely on the compiler to use the picture of the copybook variable as the picture in the developer's own working storage variable. Example:

COPYBOOK ABCDE looks like this:

01  ABCDE-STRUCTURE.

    02  ABCDE-ACCOUNT-X.

            03  ABCDE-ACCOUNT              PIC 9(9).

    02  ABCDE-PROJECT-NAME          PIC X(16).

    02  ABCDE-PROJECT-DATE           PIC X(10).

Then, if any of those fields change size the program would automatically adapt to those differences after recompilation. Certainly, if they got considerably smaller there might be an issue with the VALUE clauses and the compiler would correctly error out, but in most relatively small changes there would likely be no harm.

PROGRAM's WORKING STORAGE:

COPY ABCDE.

01  REPORT-HEADER.

    02  HEADER-ACCOUNT                      LIKE ABCDE-ACCOUNT-X    VALUE 'ACCOUNT'.

    02  FILLER                                              PIC X(02) VALUE SPACES.

    02  HEADER-PROJECT                       LIKE ABCDE-PROJECT-NAME VALUE 'PROJECT'.

    02  FILLER                                             PIC X(02) VALUE SPACES.

    02  HEADER-DATE                               LIKE ABCDE-PROJECT-DATE VALUE 'DATE'.

01  REPORT-RECORD.

    02  REPORT-ACCOUNT                       LIKE ABCDE-ACCOUNT.

    02  FILLER                                             PIC X(02) VALUE SPACES.

    02  REPORT-PROJECT                       LIKE ABCDE-PROJECT-NAME.

    02  FILLER                                             PIC X(02) VALUE SPACES.

    02  REPORT-DATE                               LIKE ABCDE-PROJECT-DATE.

 

PROCEDURE DIVISION.

...

WRITE OUTPUT-FILE FROM REPORT-HEADER.

...

{loop}

MOVE ABCDE-ACCOUNT              TO REPORT-ACCOUNT.

MOVE ABCDE-PROJECT               TO REPORT-PROJECT.

MOVE ABCDE-DATE                       TO REPORT-DATE.

WRITE OUTPUT-FILE FROM REPORT-RECORD.

PERFORM READ-INPUT-FILE.

Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Dec 10, 2023

    Hi,

    I think « LIKE » and « TYPEDEF » does not address same needs:

    • TYPEDEF presupposes the implementation of data description standards based on a data standardisation approach: all data of the same type use a same description.

    • LIKE concerns the reuse of a description for another description: the description of one data follows the evolution of another description, the changes applied to the source description apply to the descriptions of the data that references the source description. There is no idea of standardization.

    Two different needs, two different solutions.


    Thanks.


  • Admin
    Basil Kanneth
    Reply
    |     Sep 20, 2023

    This Idea is being accepted for now. In parallel, we are investigating the implementation of TYPEDEF to see if it will meet the requirements for this Idea.

    1 reply
  • Admin
    Basil Kanneth
    Reply
    |     Aug 7, 2023

    This Idea is being investigated further and needs more time.

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