COBOL SPACE and SPACES - Quick Reference

SPACE and SPACES in COBOL are used to represent blank characters for data initialization, field padding, and string operations. SPACE represents a single blank character, while SPACES represents multiple blank characters.

Primary Use

Initialize data fields with blank characters

Divisions

DATA DIVISION and PROCEDURE DIVISION

Type

Literal values

Purpose

Data initialization and padding

Overview

SPACE and SPACES are COBOL literals used to represent blank characters. SPACE represents a single blank character, while SPACES represents multiple blank characters. They are commonly used for initializing character fields, padding strings to specific lengths, clearing data fields, and formatting output. These literals are essential for data processing operations that require blank character handling.

Syntax

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* SPACE and SPACES syntax
MOVE SPACE TO data-item
MOVE SPACES TO data-item
MOVE SPACES(n) TO data-item  * n specifies number of spaces
 
* Examples:
MOVE SPACE TO WS-FIELD
MOVE SPACES TO WS-STRING
MOVE SPACES(10) TO WS-PADDED-FIELD
 
* In data definitions:
01  WS-FIELD PIC X(20) VALUE SPACES.
01  WS-STRING PIC X(50) VALUE SPACE.

Practical Examples

Basic SPACE and SPACES Usage

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* Basic SPACE and SPACES examples
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. SPACE-EXAMPLE.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-SINGLE-SPACE        PIC X(1) VALUE SPACE.
01  WS-MULTIPLE-SPACES     PIC X(10) VALUE SPACES.
01  WS-FIELD-TO-CLEAR      PIC X(20).
01  WS-PADDED-STRING       PIC X(30).
01  WS-FORMATTED-OUTPUT    PIC X(50).
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-LOGIC.
    * Initialize fields with spaces
    MOVE SPACE TO WS-SINGLE-SPACE
    MOVE SPACES TO WS-MULTIPLE-SPACES
    
    * Clear a field
    MOVE SPACES TO WS-FIELD-TO-CLEAR
    
    * Create padded string
    MOVE "Hello" TO WS-PADDED-STRING
    MOVE SPACES(25) TO WS-PADDED-STRING(6:25)
    
    * Format output with spaces
    MOVE "Name:" TO WS-FORMATTED-OUTPUT(1:5)
    MOVE SPACES(5) TO WS-FORMATTED-OUTPUT(6:5)
    MOVE "John Doe" TO WS-FORMATTED-OUTPUT(11:8)
    
    DISPLAY "Single space: '" WS-SINGLE-SPACE "'"
    DISPLAY "Multiple spaces: '" WS-MULTIPLE-SPACES "'"
    DISPLAY "Cleared field: '" WS-FIELD-TO-CLEAR "'"
    DISPLAY "Padded string: '" WS-PADDED-STRING "'"
    DISPLAY "Formatted output: '" WS-FORMATTED-OUTPUT "'"
    
    STOP RUN.

Explanation: This example demonstrates basic usage of SPACE and SPACES. SPACE is used to initialize a single character field, while SPACES is used for multiple characters. The program shows how to clear fields, create padded strings, and format output using blank characters.

String Padding and Formatting

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* String padding and formatting with SPACES
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. STRING-PADDING-EXAMPLE.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-ORIGINAL-STRING     PIC X(20) VALUE "Hello World".
01  WS-PADDED-STRING       PIC X(30).
01  WS-LEFT-PADDED         PIC X(25).
01  WS-RIGHT-PADDED        PIC X(25).
01  WS-CENTERED-STRING     PIC X(30).
01  WS-FORMATTED-REPORT    PIC X(80).
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-LOGIC.
    * Right-pad a string
    MOVE WS-ORIGINAL-STRING TO WS-PADDED-STRING
    MOVE SPACES(10) TO WS-PADDED-STRING(21:10)
    
    * Left-pad a string
    MOVE SPACES(10) TO WS-LEFT-PADDED(1:10)
    MOVE WS-ORIGINAL-STRING TO WS-LEFT-PADDED(11:11)
    
    * Right-pad a string
    MOVE WS-ORIGINAL-STRING TO WS-RIGHT-PADDED(1:11)
    MOVE SPACES(14) TO WS-RIGHT-PADDED(12:14)
    
    * Center a string
    MOVE SPACES(5) TO WS-CENTERED-STRING(1:5)
    MOVE WS-ORIGINAL-STRING TO WS-CENTERED-STRING(6:11)
    MOVE SPACES(5) TO WS-CENTERED-STRING(17:5)
    
    * Create formatted report line
    MOVE "Customer:" TO WS-FORMATTED-REPORT(1:9)
    MOVE SPACES(3) TO WS-FORMATTED-REPORT(10:3)
    MOVE "John Doe" TO WS-FORMATTED-REPORT(13:8)
    MOVE SPACES(5) TO WS-FORMATTED-REPORT(21:5)
    MOVE "Balance:" TO WS-FORMATTED-REPORT(26:8)
    MOVE SPACES(3) TO WS-FORMATTED-REPORT(34:3)
    MOVE "$1,250.00" TO WS-FORMATTED-REPORT(37:9)
    
    DISPLAY "Original: '" WS-ORIGINAL-STRING "'"
    DISPLAY "Right-padded: '" WS-PADDED-STRING "'"
    DISPLAY "Left-padded: '" WS-LEFT-PADDED "'"
    DISPLAY "Right-padded: '" WS-RIGHT-PADDED "'"
    DISPLAY "Centered: '" WS-CENTERED-STRING "'"
    DISPLAY "Formatted report: '" WS-FORMATTED-REPORT "'"
    
    STOP RUN.

Explanation: This example demonstrates advanced string padding and formatting techniques using SPACES. The program shows how to left-pad, right-pad, and center strings, as well as create formatted report lines. SPACES is used to create consistent spacing and alignment in output formatting.

Data Field Initialization

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* Data field initialization with SPACE and SPACES
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. FIELD-INITIALIZATION-EXAMPLE.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-CUSTOMER-RECORD.
    05  WS-CUSTOMER-ID      PIC X(10) VALUE SPACES.
    05  WS-CUSTOMER-NAME    PIC X(30) VALUE SPACES.
    05  WS-CUSTOMER-ADDRESS PIC X(50) VALUE SPACES.
    05  WS-CUSTOMER-PHONE   PIC X(15) VALUE SPACES.
    05  WS-CUSTOMER-EMAIL   PIC X(40) VALUE SPACES.
 
01  WS-TRANSACTION-RECORD.
    05  WS-TRANS-ID         PIC X(15) VALUE SPACES.
    05  WS-TRANS-AMOUNT     PIC 9(8)V99 VALUE ZERO.
    05  WS-TRANS-DATE       PIC X(8) VALUE SPACES.
    05  WS-TRANS-TYPE       PIC X(1) VALUE SPACE.
    05  WS-TRANS-STATUS     PIC X(1) VALUE SPACE.
 
01  WS-WORK-FIELDS.
    05  WS-TEMP-STRING      PIC X(100).
    05  WS-CLEAR-FLAG       PIC X(1) VALUE 'N'.
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-LOGIC.
    * Initialize customer record with spaces
    MOVE SPACES TO WS-CUSTOMER-RECORD
    DISPLAY "Customer record initialized with spaces"
    
    * Initialize transaction record
    MOVE SPACES TO WS-TRANSACTION-RECORD
    MOVE ZERO TO WS-TRANS-AMOUNT
    DISPLAY "Transaction record initialized"
    
    * Clear work fields
    MOVE SPACES TO WS-TEMP-STRING
    MOVE SPACE TO WS-CLEAR-FLAG
    DISPLAY "Work fields cleared"
    
    * Demonstrate field-by-field initialization
    MOVE SPACES(10) TO WS-CUSTOMER-ID
    MOVE SPACES(30) TO WS-CUSTOMER-NAME
    MOVE SPACES(50) TO WS-CUSTOMER-ADDRESS
    MOVE SPACES(15) TO WS-CUSTOMER-PHONE
    MOVE SPACES(40) TO WS-CUSTOMER-EMAIL
    
    DISPLAY "Customer ID: '" WS-CUSTOMER-ID "'"
    DISPLAY "Customer Name: '" WS-CUSTOMER-NAME "'"
    DISPLAY "Customer Address: '" WS-CUSTOMER-ADDRESS "'"
    DISPLAY "Customer Phone: '" WS-CUSTOMER-PHONE "'"
    DISPLAY "Customer Email: '" WS-CUSTOMER-EMAIL "'"
    
    STOP RUN.

Explanation: This example shows how to use SPACE and SPACES for data field initialization. The program demonstrates initializing entire records with SPACES, clearing individual fields, and using SPACE for single-character fields. This is commonly used in data processing applications to ensure fields start with blank values.

Report Formatting Example

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* Report formatting with SPACE and SPACES
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. REPORT-FORMATTING-EXAMPLE.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-REPORT-HEADER       PIC X(80).
01  WS-REPORT-LINE         PIC X(80).
01  WS-SEPARATOR-LINE      PIC X(80).
01  WS-DETAIL-LINE         PIC X(80).
01  WS-TOTAL-LINE          PIC X(80).
 
01  WS-CUSTOMER-DATA.
    05  WS-CUST-ID         PIC X(10) VALUE "CUST001".
    05  WS-CUST-NAME       PIC X(25) VALUE "John Smith".
    05  WS-CUST-BALANCE    PIC 9(8)V99 VALUE 1250.50.
    05  WS-CUST-STATUS     PIC X(1) VALUE "A".
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-LOGIC.
    * Create report header
    MOVE "CUSTOMER REPORT" TO WS-REPORT-HEADER(1:15)
    MOVE SPACES(10) TO WS-REPORT-HEADER(16:10)
    MOVE "Date: 2023-12-01" TO WS-REPORT-HEADER(26:15)
    MOVE SPACES(39) TO WS-REPORT-HEADER(41:39)
    
    * Create separator line
    MOVE SPACES(80) TO WS-SEPARATOR-LINE
    MOVE "=" TO WS-SEPARATOR-LINE(1:1)
    MOVE SPACES(78) TO WS-SEPARATOR-LINE(2:78)
    MOVE "=" TO WS-SEPARATOR-LINE(80:1)
    
    * Create column headers
    MOVE "Customer ID" TO WS-REPORT-LINE(1:11)
    MOVE SPACES(5) TO WS-REPORT-LINE(12:5)
    MOVE "Customer Name" TO WS-REPORT-LINE(17:13)
    MOVE SPACES(5) TO WS-REPORT-LINE(30:5)
    MOVE "Balance" TO WS-REPORT-LINE(35:7)
    MOVE SPACES(5) TO WS-REPORT-LINE(42:5)
    MOVE "Status" TO WS-REPORT-LINE(47:6)
    MOVE SPACES(27) TO WS-REPORT-LINE(53:27)
    
    * Create detail line
    MOVE WS-CUST-ID TO WS-DETAIL-LINE(1:10)
    MOVE SPACES(5) TO WS-DETAIL-LINE(11:5)
    MOVE WS-CUST-NAME TO WS-DETAIL-LINE(16:25)
    MOVE SPACES(5) TO WS-DETAIL-LINE(41:5)
    MOVE WS-CUST-BALANCE TO WS-DETAIL-LINE(46:10)
    MOVE SPACES(5) TO WS-DETAIL-LINE(56:5)
    MOVE WS-CUST-STATUS TO WS-DETAIL-LINE(61:1)
    MOVE SPACES(19) TO WS-DETAIL-LINE(62:19)
    
    * Create total line
    MOVE SPACES(35) TO WS-TOTAL-LINE(1:35)
    MOVE "Total Records: 1" TO WS-TOTAL-LINE(36:15)
    MOVE SPACES(29) TO WS-TOTAL-LINE(51:29)
    
    * Display formatted report
    DISPLAY WS-REPORT-HEADER
    DISPLAY WS-SEPARATOR-LINE
    DISPLAY WS-REPORT-LINE
    DISPLAY WS-SEPARATOR-LINE
    DISPLAY WS-DETAIL-LINE
    DISPLAY WS-SEPARATOR-LINE
    DISPLAY WS-TOTAL-LINE
    
    STOP RUN.

Explanation: This example demonstrates how to use SPACE and SPACES for report formatting. The program creates a formatted customer report with headers, separators, column alignment, and totals. SPACES is used extensively to create proper spacing and alignment in the report output, ensuring consistent formatting and readability.

Best Practices and Considerations

Important Considerations

Use SPACE for single character fields and SPACES for multiple characters
Consider memory usage when initializing large fields with SPACES
Use SPACES(n) for precise control over the number of spaces
Be consistent with spacing conventions in your application
Consider using SPACES for data clearing and initialization

Advantages

Simple and efficient for data initialization
Provides consistent blank character handling
Supports string padding and formatting
Easy to use for field clearing
Standard COBOL literals with wide support

Limitations

Limited to blank character representation
May impact memory usage for large fields
Requires careful handling in string operations
May not be suitable for all formatting needs
Can be overused inappropriately

Best Practices

• Use SPACE for single characters and SPACES for multiple characters
• Use SPACES(n) for precise control over spacing
• Initialize character fields with SPACES for consistency
• Use SPACES for data clearing and formatting
• Consider memory usage when working with large fields

Test Your Knowledge

1. What is the primary purpose of SPACE and SPACES in COBOL?

To create blank spaces in output
To initialize data fields with blank characters
To add spaces between words
To format text

2. What is the difference between SPACE and SPACES in COBOL?

They are the same thing
SPACE is singular, SPACES is plural
SPACE is faster than SPACES
SPACE is obsolete, SPACES is modern

3. In which COBOL division can SPACE and SPACES be used?

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION only
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION only
DATA DIVISION and PROCEDURE DIVISION
PROCEDURE DIVISION only

4. How are SPACE and SPACES typically used in data initialization?

As literal values in MOVE statements
As reserved words in data definitions
As system variables
As function names

5. What is the relationship between SPACE and the SPACES function?

They are unrelated
SPACE is a literal, SPACES is a function
SPACE is a function, SPACES is a literal
They are the same thing

COBOL Tutorial

COBOL SPACE and SPACES - Quick Reference

Primary Use

Divisions

Type

Purpose

Overview

Syntax

Practical Examples

Basic SPACE and SPACES Usage

String Padding and Formatting

Data Field Initialization

Report Formatting Example

Best Practices and Considerations

Important Considerations

Advantages

Limitations

Best Practices

Test Your Knowledge

Related Concepts

ZERO

HIGH-VALUES

LOW-VALUES

QUOTES

String Operations

Related Pages

COBOL Tutorial

COBOL SPACE and SPACES - Quick Reference

Primary Use

Divisions

Type

Purpose

Overview

Syntax

Practical Examples

Basic SPACE and SPACES Usage

String Padding and Formatting

Data Field Initialization

Report Formatting Example

Best Practices and Considerations

Important Considerations

Advantages

Limitations

Best Practices

Test Your Knowledge

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Concepts

ZERO

HIGH-VALUES

LOW-VALUES

QUOTES

String Operations

Related Pages