Definition Attributes
Data Definition Language (DDL) Reference Manual — 426798-002
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PICTURE Clause
•
Most alphanumeric and numeric PICTURE clauses are translated into FORTRAN
character strings. The only exceptions are numeric fields described with USAGE IS
COMP; these fields are translated into FORTRAN integers.
•
Appendix C, DDL Data Translation
, contains a table showing the FORTRAN data
types generated from DDL PICTURE clauses.
•
The maximum length of an alphanumeric or a numeric field is 255 bytes.
PICTURE Clause Guidelines for Pascal
Consider the following guidelines when generating Pascal source code:
•
DDL translates alphanumeric, national, and numeric PICTURE clauses, except
numeric clauses described with USAGE IS COMP, into Pascal FSTRING types.
Numeric PICTURE clauses with USAGE IS COMP translate into Pascal integer
types.
•
Appendix C, DDL Data Translation
, contains a table showing the Pascal data types
generated from DDL PICTURE clauses.
PICTURE Clause Guidelines for TACL
Consider the following guidelines when generating TACL source code:
•
Most alphanumeric, national, and numeric PICTURE clauses are translated into
TACL STRUCTs containing character strings. The only exception is numeric
PICTURE clauses described with USAGE IS COMP. COMP numeric fields are
translated into TACL STRUCTs containing binary data types.
•
Appendix C, DDL Data Translation
, contains a table showing the TACL data types
generated from DDL PICTURE clauses.
•
If a TACL clause is specified, the resulting TACL STRUCT contains the high-level
data type specified in the TACL clause rather than the standard TACL data type
generated from a PICTURE clause.
•
The maximum length of a TACL STRUCT is 5,000 bytes. Any filler generated by
DDL for alignment counts towards this maximum length.
PICTURE Clause Guidelines for pTAL and TAL
Consider the following guidelines when generating pTAL or TAL source code:
•
Alphanumeric, national, and numeric PICTURE clauses are translated into pTAL or
TAL character strings, except for numeric fields described with USAGE IS COMP,
which are translated into pTAL or TAL binary data types.
•
Appendix C, DDL Data Translation
, contains a table showing the pTAL or TAL data
types generated from DDL PICTURE clauses.
•
The maximum field length depends on where the field is used: