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COBOL VALIDATE-STATUS - Quick Reference

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Overview

VALIDATE-STATUS is a special register or data item that contains the result of a VALIDATE operation. It provides status codes indicating whether validation succeeded or failed, allowing programs to handle validation errors appropriately.

Key Features

  • Status indication - Shows validation success or failure
  • Error codes - Provides specific error information
  • Program control - Enables conditional processing based on validation results
  • Error handling - Supports robust error management

Syntax and Usage

VALIDATE-STATUS usage patterns and status code checking for different validation scenarios.

Basic VALIDATE-STATUS Usage

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. VALIDATE-STATUS-EXAMPLE.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  CUSTOMER-AGE     PIC 9(3) VALUE 25.
       01  VALIDATE-STATUS  PIC 9(2) VALUE 0.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           VALIDATE CUSTOMER-AGE
           IF VALIDATE-STATUS = 00
               DISPLAY "Validation successful"
           ELSE
               DISPLAY "Validation failed with status: " VALIDATE-STATUS
           END-IF
           STOP RUN.

Basic usage of VALIDATE-STATUS to check validation results.

VALIDATE-STATUS with Multiple Validations

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. MULTIPLE-VALIDATE.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  CUSTOMER-DATA.
           05  CUSTOMER-AGE     PIC 9(3) VALUE 25.
           05  CUSTOMER-NAME    PIC X(30) VALUE "JOHN DOE".
           05  CUSTOMER-EMAIL   PIC X(50) VALUE "john@example.com".
       01  VALIDATE-STATUS  PIC 9(2) VALUE 0.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       MAIN-LOGIC.
           VALIDATE CUSTOMER-AGE
           IF VALIDATE-STATUS NOT = 00
               DISPLAY "Age validation failed: " VALIDATE-STATUS
               GO TO ERROR-EXIT
           END-IF
           
           VALIDATE CUSTOMER-NAME
           IF VALIDATE-STATUS NOT = 00
               DISPLAY "Name validation failed: " VALIDATE-STATUS
               GO TO ERROR-EXIT
           END-IF
           
           VALIDATE CUSTOMER-EMAIL
           IF VALIDATE-STATUS NOT = 00
               DISPLAY "Email validation failed: " VALIDATE-STATUS
               GO TO ERROR-EXIT
           END-IF
           
           DISPLAY "All validations successful"
           GO TO NORMAL-EXIT.
       
       ERROR-EXIT.
           DISPLAY "Validation error occurred"
           STOP RUN.
       
       NORMAL-EXIT.
           STOP RUN.

Checking VALIDATE-STATUS after multiple validation operations.

VALIDATE-STATUS with Error Handling

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. VALIDATE-ERROR-HANDLING.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  INVALID-DATA     PIC 9(3) VALUE 999.
       01  VALIDATE-STATUS  PIC 9(2) VALUE 0.
       01  ERROR-MESSAGE    PIC X(50).
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           VALIDATE INVALID-DATA
           EVALUATE VALIDATE-STATUS
               WHEN 00
                   DISPLAY "Validation successful"
               WHEN 01
                   MOVE "Data format error" TO ERROR-MESSAGE
                   PERFORM HANDLE-ERROR
               WHEN 02
                   MOVE "Data range error" TO ERROR-MESSAGE
                   PERFORM HANDLE-ERROR
               WHEN OTHER
                   MOVE "Unknown validation error" TO ERROR-MESSAGE
                   PERFORM HANDLE-ERROR
           END-EVALUATE
           STOP RUN.
       
       HANDLE-ERROR.
           DISPLAY "Error: " ERROR-MESSAGE
           DISPLAY "Status: " VALIDATE-STATUS
           EXIT.

Using EVALUATE to handle different validation status codes.

Status Codes

Success Codes

Status codes indicating successful validation.

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00 - Validation successful
01 - Validation successful with warnings

Error Codes

Common error status codes.

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01 - Format validation error
02 - Range validation error
03 - Custom validation error
99 - General validation failure

Checking Status

How to check validation status.

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IF VALIDATE-STATUS = 00
    * Success handling
ELSE
    * Error handling
END-IF

Status Declaration

Declaring VALIDATE-STATUS variable.

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01  VALIDATE-STATUS  PIC 9(2) VALUE 0.

Best Practices

  • Always check status - Check VALIDATE-STATUS after every validation operation
  • Handle all codes - Provide handling for all possible status codes
  • Use meaningful messages - Provide clear error messages based on status codes
  • Document status codes - Document the meaning of status codes for your implementation
  • Test error scenarios - Test your error handling with various validation failures

VALIDATE-STATUS Quick Reference

Status CodeMeaningAction
00SuccessContinue processing
01Format errorCheck data format
02Range errorCheck data range
99General failureInvestigate error

Test Your Knowledge

1. What does VALIDATE-STATUS represent in COBOL?

  • A program compilation status
  • The result of a VALIDATE operation
  • A system error code
  • A file operation status

2. What is a typical value for VALIDATE-STATUS when validation succeeds?

  • 00
  • 99
  • FF
  • Any non-zero value

3. How do you check VALIDATE-STATUS after a validation operation?

  • Use IF VALIDATE-STATUS = 00
  • Use IF VALIDATE-STATUS IS SUCCESS
  • Use IF VALIDATE-STATUS IS VALID
  • All of the above depending on implementation

4. What should you do when VALIDATE-STATUS indicates failure?

  • Terminate the program immediately
  • Handle the error appropriately and provide user feedback
  • Ignore the error and continue processing
  • Restart the validation process

5. Can VALIDATE-STATUS be used with all validation methods?

  • Yes, with all validation approaches
  • Only with VALIDATE statement
  • Only with manual validation
  • Only with file validation

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Concepts

VALIDATE

Data validation statement.

Error Handling

Robust error handling strategies.

Exception Handling

Handle program exceptions and errors.

Data Validation

Comprehensive data validation techniques.

Program Control

Control program flow based on conditions.

VALIDATEVAL-NOTIFY