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In Cobol we may get return code of 4 or 8 or 12 or 16, If th

PostPosted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:43 pm
by arunkumar
In Cobol we may get return code of 4 or 8 or 12 or 16, If this is the case why the picture clause of return code in alphanumeric field? why not numeric?

Re: In Cobol we may get return code of 4 or 8 or 12 or 16, If th

PostPosted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 2:44 pm
by ajuatsgp
Hi Arun,

I dont think so....
I ususally define my return code field as numeric and my program handels the return code properly...
Can you please be little more specific in your query.

Re: In Cobol we may get return code of 4 or 8 or 12 or 16, If th

PostPosted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 4:26 pm
by Robert Sample
If you check section 1.3.8.6 of the COBOL Language Reference manual, you will find
The RETURN-CODE special register has the implicit definition:


01 RETURN-CODE GLOBAL PICTURE S9(4) USAGE BINARY VALUE ZERO.

So why do you think it would be alphanumeric since COBOL explicitly tells you it is not?