Initializing a char using ASCII value in COBOL

Hi people!

What I'm trying to do is very simple, but I just can't figure it out
since I'm not too good with COBOL. I have a set of characters that
must not be found in a particular string. I know how to search a
string and all, but my problem is that I receive the ASCII values of
these characters and I can't seem to find a way to convert them back
to chars (pic x) efficiently!? What I'm looking to do exactly is
something like this piece of "C" code does:

int iSomeChar = 64;
char cThisChar = iSomeChar;

Since ASCII for 0064 is "@", cThisChar now has the value "@". It's so
simple that I even feel dumb asking. Thanks a lot for your help,

Type-D

Would the intrinsic function "CHAR" meet your needs?

-Chuck Stevens

"Type-D" <b18cspecr@yahoo.ca> wrote in message
news:ebdca0cf.0408261240.1f740a03@posting.google.com...
> Hi people!
>
> What I'm trying to do is very simple, but I just can't figure it out
> since I'm not too good with COBOL. I have a set of characters that
> must not be found in a particular string. I know how to search a
> string and all, but my problem is that I receive the ASCII values of
> these characters and I can't seem to find a way to convert them back
> to chars (pic x) efficiently!? What I'm looking to do exactly is
> something like this piece of "C" code does:
>
> int iSomeChar = 64;
> char cThisChar = iSomeChar;
>
> Since ASCII for 0064 is "@", cThisChar now has the value "@". It's so
> simple that I even feel dumb asking. Thanks a lot for your help,
>
> Type-D

b18cspecr@yahoo.ca (Type-D) wrote in message news:<ebdca0cf.0408261240.1f740a03@posting.goo
gle.com>...
> Hi people!
>
> What I'm trying to do is very simple, but I just can't figure it out
> since I'm not too good with COBOL. I have a set of characters that
> must not be found in a particular string. I know how to search a
> string and all, but my problem is that I receive the ASCII values of
> these characters and I can't seem to find a way to convert them back
> to chars (pic x) efficiently!? What I'm looking to do exactly is
> something like this piece of "C" code does:
>
> int iSomeChar = 64;
> char cThisChar = iSomeChar;
>
> Since ASCII for 0064 is "@", cThisChar now has the value "@". It's so
> simple that I even feel dumb asking. Thanks a lot for your help,
>
> Type-D

Hi,
Hopefully this will help.

Joe

Knowledge Base

Title: REDEFINES in COBOL 3.0/3.0a Can Mimic BASIC's ASC and CHR$
Document Number: Q58566           Publ Date: 20-APR-1993
Product Name: Microsoft COBOL Compiler
Product Version:  3.00 3.00a | 3.00 3.00a
Operating System: MS-DOS     | OS/2

----------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft COBOL for MS-DOS and OS/2, versions 3.0 and 3.0a
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Microsoft COBOL Compiler Versions 3.0 and 3.0a do not have a
statement that directly converts between characters (PIC X) and their
numeric ASCII representations. However, you can write a program using
COBOL's REDEFINES clause to do this conversion. (This conversion is
equivalent to that done by the CHR$ and ASC functions found in
Microsoft BASIC.)

More Information:

By using the REDEFINES clause, the same variable (memory location) can
be referenced using different formats. By using a PIC X for a
character and a PIC 99 COMP-X, BASIC's CHR$ and ASC functions are
simulated in COBOL by moving information into one data-name and
checking the other.

Note that BASIC's CHR$(num) function returns a one-character string
whose ASCII code is num. BASIC's ASC(stringargument) function returns
a numeric value that is the ASCII code for the first character in the
stringargument.

The following code example illustrates how to use COBOL's REDEFINES
clause to simulate BASIC's ASC() and CHR$() functions:

WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  CHR PIC X.
01  ASC PIC 99 COMP-X REDEFINES CHR.

PROCEDURE DIVISION.
000-MAIN.

**** equivalent to ASC("X") in BASIC
MOVE "X" TO CHR.
DISPLAY "ASCII VALUE OF X:".
DISPLAY ASC.

**** equivalent to CHR$(89)
MOVE 89 TO ASC.
DISPLAY "CHAR FOR ASCII 89:".
DISPLAY CHR.

STOP RUN.

The output of the above program is as follows:

ASCII VALUE OF X:
088
CHAR FOR ASCII 89:
Y

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.00a

COPYRIGHT Microsoft Corporation, 1993.