PICTURE Clause in COBOL

PICTURE Clause Syntax and Purpose

The PICTURE clause (often abbreviated as PIC) is one of the most fundamental elements in COBOL data definition. It defines the format and size of a data item, specifying its data type, length, and how it should be displayed or interpreted.

1
2
3
4
5
6
       05  EMPLOYEE-ID           PIC 9(5).
       05  EMPLOYEE-NAME         PIC X(30).
       05  HOURLY-RATE           PIC 9(3)V99.
       05  HIRE-DATE             PIC 9(8).
       05  DEPARTMENT-CODE       PIC AA9.
       05  TAX-AMOUNT            PIC $Z,ZZ9.99.

The PICTURE clause serves several important purposes:

• Defines the data type (numeric, alphabetic, or alphanumeric)
• Specifies the size of the field in memory
• Determines how data is represented internally
• Controls how data will be formatted for display or output
• Provides implicit data validation for input

The PICTURE clause consists of the keyword PIC or PICTURE followed by a character string that defines the data characteristics. The character string can contain:

• Data characters: 9, A, X, etc.
• Operational symbols: S, V, P
• Editing symbols: Z, $, ., B, etc.
• Repetition factors: 9(5) = 99999

Numeric PIC Specifications (9, V, S, P)

Numeric PICTURE specifications are used to define fields that contain numeric data and can be used in arithmetic operations. Several special characters are used to define various aspects of numeric data.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
       05  WHOLE-NUMBER          PIC 9(5).       *> 5-digit whole number
       05  DECIMAL-NUMBER        PIC 9(3)V99.    *> 3 digits before and 2 after decimal
       05  SIGNED-NUMBER         PIC S9(7).      *> 7-digit signed number
       05  NEGATIVE-NUMBER       PIC S9(5)V99.   *> Signed with 2 decimal places
       05  SCALED-NUMBER         PIC 9(5)P(2).   *> Multiplied by 100
       05  P-SCALED-NUMBER       PIC P(2)9(5).   *> Divided by 100
       05  LARGE-AMOUNT          PIC 9(10)V99.   *> 10 digits with 2 decimal places

Key numeric PICTURE symbols:

• 9 - Represents a numeric digit position (0-9)
• V - Indicates an implied decimal point (no storage allocated)
• S - Indicates a sign for the number (+ or -)
• P - Scaling position (implied decimal scaling, no storage allocated)

Behavior of numeric fields:

• Can be used in arithmetic operations
• Default initialization is zero
• Alignment is based on the decimal point (V) when moving between numeric fields
• The S symbol impacts both storage and operations, allowing representation of negative values
• The actual storage format depends on the USAGE clause (DISPLAY, COMP, etc.)

Alphanumeric PIC Specifications (X, A, 9)

Alphanumeric PICTURE specifications define fields that can contain letters, digits, and special characters. These fields are used for text data that isn't used in arithmetic operations.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
       05  CUSTOMER-NAME         PIC X(30).      *> Any 30 characters
       05  PRODUCT-CODE          PIC X(10).      *> 10-character code
       05  ADDRESS-LINE          PIC X(50).      *> 50-character address
       05  LAST-NAME             PIC A(20).      *> 20 alphabetic characters
       05  STATE-CODE            PIC AA.         *> 2-letter state code
       05  ALPHANUMERIC-CODE     PIC AAA99.      *> 3 letters followed by 2 digits
       05  MIXED-CODE            PIC A(3)X(5).   *> 3 letters followed by 5 any chars

Key alphanumeric PICTURE symbols:

• X - Represents any character (letters, digits, special characters)
• A - Represents alphabetic characters only (A-Z, a-z, space)
• 9 - When used in alphanumeric context, represents numeric digits

Behavior of alphanumeric fields:

• Cannot be used in arithmetic operations
• Default initialization is spaces
• Alignment is left-justified when moving between alphanumeric fields
• Truncation or padding occurs on the right when moving between fields of different sizes
• PIC X fields accept any characters; PIC A fields will cause validation errors if non-alphabetic data is moved to them

Editing Characters (Z, $, ., B, etc.)

Editing characters allow you to format numeric data for display or reporting. They define how numbers will appear when used in output operations, controlling aspects like leading zero suppression, insertion of separators, and currency symbols.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
       05  AMOUNT-Z              PIC Z,ZZ9.99.   *> Leading zero suppression
       05  AMOUNT-DOLLAR         PIC $,$$9.99.   *> Currency symbol
       05  PHONE-NUMBER          PIC 999B999B9999. *> Space insertion
       05  DASH-NUMBER           PIC 999-999-9999. *> Dash insertion
       05  CR-DR-AMOUNT          PIC 9(6).99CR.   *> Credit notation
       05  PLUS-MINUS-AMT        PIC +9(6).99.    *> Explicit sign
       05  STARRED-CHECK-AMT     PIC $**,***,**9.99. *> Check protection

Common editing characters:

• Z - Replace leading zeros with spaces
• $ - Insert a currency symbol
• . - Insert a decimal point at this position
• , - Insert a comma (typically as a thousands separator)
• B - Insert a blank space
• - - Insert a minus sign or display a minus for negative values
• + - Insert a plus sign or display appropriate sign
• CR/DB - Display CR for negative values, spaces for positive
• * - Replace leading zeros with asterisks (check protection)
• 0 - Insert a zero at this position
• / - Insert a slash character

Key points about edited numeric fields:

• Editing characters only affect how data is displayed, not how it's stored
• To perform calculations on an edited field, you must first move the data to a non-edited numeric field
• Moving data to an edited field automatically applies the formatting
• The Z character and $ character can float (appear immediately to the left of the first significant digit)
• Multiple editing symbols can be combined to create complex formats

PIC Clause Examples and Usage

Let's see some practical examples of how PICTURE clauses are used in real COBOL programs for different scenarios.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
       01  EMPLOYEE-RECORD.
           05  EMP-ID              PIC 9(5).
           05  EMP-NAME.
               10  LAST-NAME       PIC X(20).
               10  FIRST-NAME      PIC X(15).
               10  MIDDLE-INIT     PIC X.
           05  EMP-ADDRESS.
               10  STREET          PIC X(30).
               10  CITY            PIC X(20).
               10  STATE           PIC XX.
               10  ZIP-CODE        PIC 9(5)X(4).
           05  EMP-DOB.
               10  DOB-YEAR        PIC 9(4).
               10  DOB-MONTH       PIC 99.
               10  DOB-DAY         PIC 99.
           05  EMP-HIRE-DATE       PIC 9(8).
           05  EMP-SALARY          PIC 9(7)V99.
           05  EMP-DEPARTMENT      PIC 9(3).
           05  EMP-STATUS          PIC X.
               88  EMP-ACTIVE      VALUE 'A'.
               88  EMP-TERMINATED  VALUE 'T'.
               88  EMP-LEAVE       VALUE 'L'.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
       01  FINANCIAL-REPORT-LINE.
           05  FILLER              PIC X(5)  VALUE SPACES.
           05  ACCOUNT-NUMBER-OUT  PIC X(10).
           05  FILLER              PIC X(2)  VALUE SPACES.
           05  ACCOUNT-NAME-OUT    PIC X(20).
           05  FILLER              PIC X(2)  VALUE SPACES.
           05  PREVIOUS-BALANCE-OUT PIC $$$,$$$,$$9.99-.
           05  FILLER              PIC X(2)  VALUE SPACES.
           05  CURRENT-BALANCE-OUT PIC $$$,$$$,$$9.99-.
           05  FILLER              PIC X(2)  VALUE SPACES.
           05  PERCENT-CHANGE-OUT  PIC ---9.99%.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
       01  CUSTOMER-INPUT-RECORD.
           05  CUST-ID-IN          PIC X(8).
           05  CUST-NAME-IN        PIC X(30).
           05  CUST-PHONE-IN       PIC X(12).
           05  CUST-BALANCE-IN     PIC X(10).
           
       01  VALIDATED-CUSTOMER-DATA.
           05  CUST-ID             PIC X(8).
           05  CUST-NAME           PIC X(30).
           05  CUST-PHONE.
               10  AREA-CODE       PIC 9(3).
               10  PHONE-PREFIX    PIC 9(3).
               10  PHONE-SUFFIX    PIC 9(4).
           05  CUST-BALANCE        PIC S9(8)V99.
           
       01  ERROR-FLAGS.
           05  ID-ERROR-FLAG       PIC X VALUE 'N'.
               88  ID-ERROR        VALUE 'Y'.
           05  PHONE-ERROR-FLAG    PIC X VALUE 'N'.
               88  PHONE-ERROR     VALUE 'Y'.
           05  BALANCE-ERROR-FLAG  PIC X VALUE 'N'.
               88  BALANCE-ERROR   VALUE 'Y'.

Best practices for using PICTURE clauses:

• Choose the appropriate data type (numeric vs. alphanumeric) based on how the data will be used
• Define fields with sufficient length to accommodate the maximum expected data size
• Use the S symbol for numeric fields that might contain negative values
• Use editing characters only for display fields, not for fields used in calculations
• Consider the USAGE clause in conjunction with the PICTURE clause for optimal storage and performance
• Use level 88 items with numeric and alphanumeric fields to create meaningful condition names
• Document unusual or complex PICTURE clauses with comments

FAQ Section

Related Pages

• Data Description Entries
• USAGE Clause
• VALUE Clause
• Data Types and Representation
• Data Movement Operations