INITIALIZE Statement [ HP COBOL II/XL Reference Manual ] MPE/iX 5.0 Documentation
HP COBOL II/XL Reference Manual
INITIALIZE Statement
The INITIALIZE statement sets selected types of data fields to predefined
values. For example, INITIALIZE can set numeric data to zeros or
alphanumeric data to spaces.
Syntax
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Parameters
literal-1 and represent the sending area.
identifier-2
identifier-1 represents the receiving area.
Description
The description of the data item referenced by identifier-1 or any items
subordinate to identifier-1 may not contain the DEPENDING phrase of the
OCCURS clause.
The data description entry for the data item referenced by identifier-1
must not contain a RENAMES clause.
Each category stated in the REPLACING phrase must be a permissible
category as a receiving operand in a MOVE statement, where the
corresponding data item referenced by identifier-2 or literal-1 is used
as the sending operand. (See "MOVE Statement", later in this chapter.)
The same category cannot be repeated in a REPLACING phrase.
An index data item may not be used as an operand in an INITIALIZE
statement.
Initializing Data Fields
Following are rules for initializing data fields:
* The keyword following the word REPLACING corresponds to a category
of data as defined under "PICTURE Clause" in Chapter 7 of this
manual.
* INITIALIZE is executed as if a series of moves had been written.
The receiving item of each MOVE is always an elementary item even
if identifier-1 refers to a group item.
When the REPLACING phrase is specified:
* If identifier-1 references a group item a move is executed
from identifier-2 or literal-1 to each elementary item of
identifier-1 that belongs to the category specified by the
REPLACING phrase.
* If identifier-1 references an elementary item, a move is
executed from identifier-2 or literal-1 to identifier-1, if
it belongs to the category specified by the REPLACING
phrase.
The only exceptions are those fields specified in the first
two rules below.
* Index data items and elementary FILLER data items are not affected
by the execution of INITIALIZE.
* Any item that is subordinate to a receiving area identifier and
contains the REDEFINES clause, or any item that is subordinate to
such an item, is not initialized. However, a receiving area
identifier may have a REDEFINES clause or be subordinate to a data
item with a REDEFINES clause.
* When the statement is written without the REPLACING phrase, data
items of the categories alphabetic, alphanumeric, and
alphanumeric-edited are set to spaces. Data items of the
categories numeric and numeric-edited are set to zeros. In this
case, the operation is as if each affected data item is the
receiving area in an elementary MOVE statement with the indicated
source literal (that is, spaces or zeros).
* In all cases, the content of the data item referenced by
identifier-1 is set to the indicated value in the order of
appearance of identifier-1 (left to right) in the INITIALIZE
statement. Where identifier-1 references a group item, affected
elementary items are initialized in the sequence of their
definition within the group.
* If identifier-1 occupies the same storage area as identifier-2,
the result of the execution of this statement is undefined, even
if both identifiers are defined by the same data description
entry.
Example
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 A.
05 B PIC 999.
05 C REDEFINES B.
10 D PIC X.
10 E PIC XX.
:
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
:
INITIALIZE A.
INITIALIZE C.
INITIALIZE C A.
When the INITIALIZE statements in the example above are executed, the
data items are initialized as follows:
1. In the first INITIALIZE, B is set to zeroes, while C, D and E are
ignored.
2. In the second INITIALIZE, D and E are set to blanks.
3. In the third INITIALIZE, D and E are set to blanks. B is set to
zeroes. The net effect is that D and E are set to zeroes.
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