MainframeMaster
MainframeMaster

COBOL Tutorial

Progress0 of 0 lessons

COBOL Output Formatting

Output formatting in COBOL transforms raw data into readable, professional presentations suitable for reports, user interfaces, and data display. COBOL provides powerful formatting capabilities through editing characters in PICTURE clauses, which automatically format numbers with currency symbols, commas, zero suppression, and other enhancements. Understanding output formatting is essential for creating professional reports and user-friendly displays in mainframe applications.

This comprehensive guide will teach you how to use editing characters to format numeric output, create formatted reports, align columns, format dates and times, handle special cases like negative numbers and zero suppression, and follow best practices for professional output formatting. Whether you're creating financial reports, data listings, or user interfaces, proper formatting makes your output clear, readable, and professional.

Understanding Output Formatting

Output formatting in COBOL involves presenting data in a way that's easy to read and understand. This includes:

  • Numeric Formatting: Adding currency symbols, thousands separators, decimal points, and handling negative numbers.
  • Text Alignment: Aligning columns, padding fields, and creating consistent layouts.
  • Date/Time Formatting: Converting dates from internal formats (like YYYYMMDD) to readable formats (like MM/DD/YYYY).
  • Report Layout: Creating headers, detail lines, totals, and properly formatted report structures.

COBOL provides two main mechanisms for output formatting:

  • Editing Characters: Special characters in PICTURE clauses that automatically format data when moved to edited fields.
  • String Building: Using STRING statements to construct formatted output manually.

Editing Characters

Editing characters are special characters used in PICTURE clauses that control how numeric data is displayed. When you MOVE data to a field with editing characters, the editing characters are automatically inserted, creating formatted output.

Common Editing Characters

Here are the most commonly used editing characters:

  • $ (Dollar Sign): Displays currency symbol. Can be floating ($ZZ,ZZ9.99) or fixed position ($,$$$,$$9.99).
  • , (Comma): Inserts thousands separators automatically.
  • Z (Zero Suppression): Replaces leading zeros with spaces. Makes output cleaner.
  • - (Minus/Hyphen): Displays minus sign for negative numbers or used as a separator.
  • / (Slash): Used for date separators (MM/DD/YYYY).
  • . (Period): Decimal point for numeric display.
  • + (Plus): Shows plus sign for positive numbers, minus for negative.
  • CR (Credit): Appears after negative numbers in financial formatting.
  • DB (Debit): Similar to CR, appears after negative numbers.
  • * (Asterisk): Check protection - fills leading positions with asterisks.

Basic Editing Example

cobol
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 RAW-AMOUNT         PIC 9(6)V99 VALUE 123456.78.
       01 FORMATTED-AMOUNT   PIC $,$$$,$$9.99.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       MAIN-LOGIC.
           *> Move raw amount to formatted field
           MOVE RAW-AMOUNT TO FORMATTED-AMOUNT
           
           DISPLAY 'Raw: ' RAW-AMOUNT
           DISPLAY 'Formatted: ' FORMATTED-AMOUNT
           *> Output:
           *> Raw: 12345678
           *> Formatted: $123,456.78
           
           STOP RUN.

Important: Always use a separate edited field. Don't try to edit the source field directly, as editing characters replace numeric positions.

Numeric Formatting

Numeric formatting is one of the most common formatting tasks. Let's explore various numeric formatting techniques:

Currency Formatting

cobol
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 AMOUNT            PIC 9(7)V99 VALUE 1234567.89.
       01 CURRENCY-FORMAT   PIC $,$$$,$$9.99.
       01 CURRENCY-Z-SUPPR  PIC $ZZ,ZZZ,ZZ9.99.
       01 SMALL-AMOUNT      PIC 9(4)V99 VALUE 12.34.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       MAIN-LOGIC.
           *> Standard currency format
           MOVE AMOUNT TO CURRENCY-FORMAT
           DISPLAY 'Currency: ' CURRENCY-FORMAT
           *> Displays: $1,234,567.89
           
           *> Currency with zero suppression
           MOVE AMOUNT TO CURRENCY-Z-SUPPR
           DISPLAY 'With Z: ' CURRENCY-Z-SUPPR
           *> Displays: $1,234,567.89
           
           *> Small amount with zero suppression
           MOVE SMALL-AMOUNT TO CURRENCY-Z-SUPPR
           DISPLAY 'Small: ' CURRENCY-Z-SUPPR
           *> Displays: $     12.34 (spaces instead of leading zeros)
           
           STOP RUN.

Comma Formatting

cobol
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 LARGE-NUMBER      PIC 9(9) VALUE 123456789.
       01 COMMA-FORMAT      PIC Z,ZZZ,ZZ9.
       01 COMMA-DECIMAL     PIC Z,ZZZ,ZZ9.99.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       MAIN-LOGIC.
           MOVE LARGE-NUMBER TO COMMA-FORMAT
           DISPLAY 'With commas: ' COMMA-FORMAT
           *> Displays: 123,456,789
           
           MOVE 1234.56 TO COMMA-DECIMAL
           DISPLAY 'Decimal: ' COMMA-DECIMAL
           *> Displays: 1,234.56
           
           STOP RUN.

Zero Suppression

cobol
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 NUMBER-1         PIC 9(5) VALUE 00123.
       01 NUMBER-2         PIC 9(5) VALUE 00005.
       01 Z-SUPPRESSED     PIC ZZZZ9.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       MAIN-LOGIC.
           MOVE NUMBER-1 TO Z-SUPPRESSED
           DISPLAY 'Number 1: [' Z-SUPPRESSED ']'
           *> Displays: [  123] (leading zeros become spaces)
           
           MOVE NUMBER-2 TO Z-SUPPRESSED
           DISPLAY 'Number 2: [' Z-SUPPRESSED ']'
           *> Displays: [    5] (leading zeros become spaces)
           
           STOP RUN.

Negative Number Formatting

cobol
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 POSITIVE-AMT     PIC S9(7)V99 VALUE 1234567.89.
       01 NEGATIVE-AMT     PIC S9(7)V99 VALUE -1234567.89.
       01 MINUS-FORMAT     PIC -,$$$,$$9.99.
       01 CR-FORMAT        PIC $,$$$,$$9.99CR.
       01 PLUS-FORMAT      PIC +,$$$,$$9.99.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       MAIN-LOGIC.
           *> Minus sign format
           MOVE NEGATIVE-AMT TO MINUS-FORMAT
           DISPLAY 'Minus: ' MINUS-FORMAT
           *> Displays: -$1,234,567.89
           
           *> Credit format (financial)
           MOVE NEGATIVE-AMT TO CR-FORMAT
           DISPLAY 'Credit: ' CR-FORMAT
           *> Displays: $1,234,567.89CR
           
           *> Plus/minus format
           MOVE POSITIVE-AMT TO PLUS-FORMAT
           DISPLAY 'Plus: ' PLUS-FORMAT
           *> Displays: +$1,234,567.89
           
           MOVE NEGATIVE-AMT TO PLUS-FORMAT
           DISPLAY 'Minus: ' PLUS-FORMAT
           *> Displays: -$1,234,567.89
           
           STOP RUN.

Date Formatting

Dates are often stored in internal formats (like YYYYMMDD) but need to be displayed in readable formats (like MM/DD/YYYY). Here's how to format dates:

cobol
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 INTERNAL-DATE    PIC 9(8) VALUE 20241225.
       01 FORMATTED-DATE   PIC 99/99/9999.
       01 DATE-PARTS.
           05 YEAR-PART    PIC 9(4).
           05 MONTH-PART   PIC 9(2).
           05 DAY-PART     PIC 9(2).
       01 DATE-STRING      PIC X(10).
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       MAIN-LOGIC.
           *> Method 1: Using edited field
           MOVE INTERNAL-DATE TO FORMATTED-DATE
           DISPLAY 'Formatted: ' FORMATTED-DATE
           *> Displays: 12/25/2024
           
           *> Method 2: Using STRING for custom format
           UNSTRING INTERNAL-DATE INTO YEAR-PART
                                        MONTH-PART
                                        DAY-PART
           STRING MONTH-PART '/' DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  DAY-PART '/' DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  YEAR-PART DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  INTO DATE-STRING
           END-STRING
           DISPLAY 'Custom: ' DATE-STRING
           *> Displays: 12/25/2024
           
           STOP RUN.

Report Formatting

Creating well-formatted reports involves headers, aligned columns, detail lines, and totals. Here's a comprehensive example:

cobol
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. FORMATTED-REPORT.
       
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 REPORT-DATA.
           05 CUSTOMER-ID      PIC 9(8) VALUE 12345678.
           05 CUSTOMER-NAME    PIC X(30) VALUE 'JOHN SMITH'.
           05 ACCOUNT-BALANCE  PIC S9(9)V99 VALUE 1234567.89.
           05 TRANSACTION-DATE PIC 9(8) VALUE 20241225.
       
       01 FORMATTED-FIELDS.
           05 BALANCE-EDITED   PIC $,$$$,$$9.99.
           05 DATE-EDITED       PIC 99/99/9999.
       
       01 REPORT-LINE          PIC X(132).
       01 LINE-POSITION        PIC 9(3) VALUE 1.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       MAIN-LOGIC.
           PERFORM PRINT-REPORT-HEADER
           PERFORM PRINT-DETAIL-LINE
           PERFORM PRINT-TOTALS
           
           STOP RUN.
       
       PRINT-REPORT-HEADER.
           DISPLAY ' '
           DISPLAY '                    CUSTOMER ACCOUNT REPORT'
           DISPLAY '                    ========================'
           DISPLAY ' '
           DISPLAY 'Customer ID    Customer Name              '
                  'Balance         Date'
           DISPLAY '----------     -------------------------- '
                  '------------    ----------'
           DISPLAY ' '.
       
       PRINT-DETAIL-LINE.
           *> Format the balance
           MOVE ACCOUNT-BALANCE TO BALANCE-EDITED
           
           *> Format the date
           MOVE TRANSACTION-DATE TO DATE-EDITED
           
           *> Build the detail line
           MOVE SPACES TO REPORT-LINE
           MOVE 1 TO LINE-POSITION
           
           STRING CUSTOMER-ID DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  '     ' DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  CUSTOMER-NAME DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  '     ' DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  BALANCE-EDITED DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  '     ' DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  DATE-EDITED DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  INTO REPORT-LINE
                  WITH POINTER LINE-POSITION
           END-STRING
           
           DISPLAY REPORT-LINE.
       
       PRINT-TOTALS.
           DISPLAY ' '
           DISPLAY '=========================================='
           DISPLAY 'Total Balance: ' BALANCE-EDITED.

Using STRING for Complex Formatting

When editing characters aren't sufficient, use STRING to build formatted output:

cobol
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 CUSTOMER-INFO.
           05 CUST-ID        PIC 9(8) VALUE 12345678.
           05 CUST-NAME      PIC X(30) VALUE 'JOHN SMITH'.
           05 CUST-BALANCE   PIC S9(9)V99 VALUE 1234567.89.
       01 BALANCE-EDITED     PIC $,$$$,$$9.99.
       01 FORMATTED-MESSAGE  PIC X(100).
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       MAIN-LOGIC.
           *> Format the balance first
           MOVE CUST-BALANCE TO BALANCE-EDITED
           
           *> Build formatted message
           STRING 'Customer: ' DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  CUST-ID DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  ' | Name: ' DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  CUST-NAME DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  ' | Balance: ' DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  BALANCE-EDITED DELIMITED BY SIZE
                  INTO FORMATTED-MESSAGE
           END-STRING
           
           DISPLAY FORMATTED-MESSAGE
           *> Displays: Customer: 12345678 | Name: JOHN SMITH | Balance: $1,234,567.89
           
           STOP RUN.

Best Practices

Follow these best practices for professional output formatting:

  • Always use separate edited fields: Don't try to edit source fields directly. Define edited fields and MOVE to them.
  • Use meaningful names: Name edited fields clearly (e.g., AMOUNT-EDITED, DATE-FORMATTED) to indicate their purpose.
  • Test with various values: Test formatting with zeros, negatives, large numbers, and edge cases.
  • Maintain consistency: Use the same formatting patterns throughout your reports.
  • Align columns properly: Use fixed positions or STRING with POINTER for consistent alignment.
  • Handle special cases: Consider zero suppression, negative numbers, and missing data.
  • Document formatting requirements: Comment your formatting logic so others understand the requirements.

Summary

Output formatting in COBOL transforms raw data into readable, professional presentations. Editing characters in PICTURE clauses automatically format numbers with currency symbols, commas, zero suppression, and other enhancements. Use separate edited fields for formatted output, test with various values, maintain consistency, and follow best practices for professional results. Proper formatting makes your output clear, readable, and suitable for reports and user interfaces.

Test Your Knowledge

1. What editing character is used for currency formatting?

  • C
  • $
  • M
  • D

2. What does the Z editing character do?

  • Adds zeros
  • Suppresses leading zeros (replaces with spaces)
  • Adds commas
  • Formats dates

3. How do you format a date from YYYYMMDD to MM/DD/YYYY?

  • Use MOVE directly
  • Define an edited field with slashes and MOVE to it
  • Use STRING to build the formatted date
  • Both B and C are correct

4. What is the difference between DISPLAY and WRITE?

  • There is no difference
  • DISPLAY goes to console, WRITE goes to a file
  • DISPLAY is for files, WRITE is for console
  • DISPLAY is faster

5. What editing characters show negative numbers with "CR"?

  • -
  • CR
  • +
  • DB

6. How do you create comma-separated thousands in numeric output?

  • Use the , editing character
  • Use STRING to add commas
  • Use Z editing character
  • Commas are automatic

7. What should you do when formatting output?

  • Edit the source field directly
  • Use a separate edited field and MOVE to it
  • Use DISPLAY only
  • Avoid formatting

8. What is check protection in COBOL formatting?

  • Password protection
  • Using * characters to protect against alteration
  • Error checking
  • Data validation

Related Concepts

DISPLAY Statement

Using DISPLAY for output

WRITE Statement

Writing to files

Data Formatting

Formatting data values

Report Generation

Creating reports

Related Pages