COBOL Tutorial

COBOL ZEROES - Quick Reference

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Overview

ZEROES in COBOL is a figurative constant that represents the numeric value zero. It is used for initializing variables, performing comparisons, and representing zero in calculations. ZEROES is an alternative plural form of the zero constant, with ZERO being the singular form and ZEROS being the primary plural form, though all represent the same value.

Key Features

Numeric constant - Represents the numeric value zero
Initialization - Used to initialize numeric variables
Comparisons - Used in conditional statements and comparisons
Arithmetic operations - Can be used in mathematical calculations

Syntax and Usage

ZEROES usage patterns for initialization, comparisons, and calculations.

Basic ZEROES Initialization

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. ZEROES-INITIALIZATION.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  COUNTER        PIC 9(4) VALUE ZEROES.
       01  ACCUMULATOR    PIC 9(8) VALUE ZEROES.
       01  TOTAL-AMOUNT   PIC 9(10)V99 VALUE ZEROES.
       01  ITEM-COUNT     PIC 9(3) VALUE ZEROES.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           DISPLAY "Counter: " COUNTER
           DISPLAY "Accumulator: " ACCUMULATOR
           DISPLAY "Total Amount: " TOTAL-AMOUNT
           DISPLAY "Item Count: " ITEM-COUNT
           STOP RUN.

Basic ZEROES initialization of numeric variables.

ZEROES in Comparisons

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. ZEROES-COMPARISONS.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  AMOUNT         PIC 9(6)V99 VALUE 150.75.
       01  BALANCE        PIC 9(8)V99 VALUE ZEROES.
       01  TRANSACTION-COUNT PIC 9(4) VALUE 0.
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           * Check if amount is zero
           IF AMOUNT = ZEROES
               DISPLAY "Amount is zero"
           ELSE
               DISPLAY "Amount is not zero: " AMOUNT
           END-IF
           
           * Check if balance is zero
           IF BALANCE = ZEROES
               DISPLAY "Balance is zero"
           ELSE
               DISPLAY "Balance is not zero: " BALANCE
           END-IF
           
           * Check if transaction count is zero
           IF TRANSACTION-COUNT = ZEROES
               DISPLAY "No transactions processed"
           ELSE
               DISPLAY "Transactions processed: " TRANSACTION-COUNT
           END-IF
           
           STOP RUN.

ZEROES usage in conditional statements and comparisons.

ZEROES in Arithmetic Operations

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       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. ZEROES-ARITHMETIC.
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  VALUE-1        PIC 9(4) VALUE 100.
       01  VALUE-2        PIC 9(4) VALUE ZEROES.
       01  RESULT         PIC 9(6).
       01  QUOTIENT       PIC 9(6).
       01  REMAINDER      PIC 9(4).
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           * Addition with ZEROES
           ADD ZEROES TO VALUE-1 GIVING RESULT
           DISPLAY "Value + ZEROES = " RESULT
           
           * Subtraction with ZEROES
           SUBTRACT ZEROES FROM VALUE-1 GIVING RESULT
           DISPLAY "Value - ZEROES = " RESULT
           
           * Multiplication with ZEROES
           MULTIPLY VALUE-1 BY ZEROES GIVING RESULT
           DISPLAY "Value * ZEROES = " RESULT
           
           * Division by ZEROES (error handling)
           IF VALUE-2 = ZEROES
               DISPLAY "Cannot divide by ZEROES"
           ELSE
               DIVIDE VALUE-1 BY VALUE-2 GIVING QUOTIENT REMAINDER REMAINDER
               DISPLAY "Division result: " QUOTIENT
           END-IF
           
           STOP RUN.

ZEROES usage in arithmetic operations with error handling.

Usage Patterns

Variable Initialization

Initialize numeric variables to zero.

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01  COUNTER    PIC 9(4) VALUE ZEROES.
01  TOTAL      PIC 9(8)V99 VALUE ZEROES.
01  BALANCE    PIC S9(10)V99 VALUE ZEROES.

Conditional Checks

Check if values are zero.

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IF AMOUNT = ZEROES
    DISPLAY "Amount is zero"
END-IF
 
IF BALANCE NOT = ZEROES
    PERFORM PROCESS-BALANCE
END-IF

Arithmetic Operations

Use ZEROES in calculations.

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ADD ZEROES TO TOTAL
MULTIPLY VALUE BY ZEROES GIVING RESULT
IF DIVISOR = ZEROES
    DISPLAY "Division by zero error"
END-IF

Loop Control

Use ZEROES for loop initialization.

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MOVE ZEROES TO LOOP-COUNTER
PERFORM UNTIL LOOP-COUNTER >= MAX-COUNT
    ADD 1 TO LOOP-COUNTER
    PERFORM PROCESS-ITEM
END-PERFORM

Best Practices

Initialization - Use ZEROES to initialize numeric variables
Readability - Use ZEROES instead of literal 0 for better code readability
Error handling - Check for division by ZEROES to prevent runtime errors
Consistency - Use ZEROES consistently throughout your program
Documentation - ZEROES makes code self-documenting

ZEROES Quick Reference

Usage	Syntax	Purpose
Initialization	VALUE ZEROES	Initialize variables to zero
Comparison	IF X = ZEROES	Check if value equals zero
Arithmetic	ADD ZEROES TO X	Use in calculations
Error Check	IF DIVISOR = ZEROES	Prevent division by zero

Test Your Knowledge

1. What is the primary purpose of ZEROES in COBOL?

To represent the numeric value zero in calculations and comparisons
To generate random numbers
To format output
To handle text strings

2. How does ZEROES compare to ZERO and ZEROS in COBOL?

ZEROES is an alternative plural form, ZERO is singular, ZEROS is primary plural
They are all exactly the same
ZEROES is faster than ZERO and ZEROS
ZEROES only works with integers

3. What is the main use case for ZEROES in COBOL?

To generate random numbers
To initialize variables, perform comparisons, and represent zero in calculations
To format output strings
To handle text processing

4. How does ZEROES behave in arithmetic operations?

It causes errors in all operations
It behaves as the numeric value zero in all arithmetic operations
It only works in addition
It only works in subtraction

5. What is a common use case for ZEROES in COBOL programs?

To generate random numbers
To initialize counters, accumulators, and perform zero-based comparisons
To format output
To handle text strings

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Concepts

ZERO

Singular form of ZEROES constant.

ZEROS

Primary plural form of ZERO constant.

Numeric Operations

Basic arithmetic operations in COBOL.

Data Types

COBOL data types and their usage.

Variable Initialization

Data description and variable initialization.

ZEROS End of Quick Reference

COBOL Tutorial

COBOL ZEROES - Quick Reference

Overview

Key Features

Syntax and Usage

Basic ZEROES Initialization

ZEROES in Comparisons

ZEROES in Arithmetic Operations

Usage Patterns

Variable Initialization

Conditional Checks

Arithmetic Operations

Loop Control

Best Practices

ZEROES Quick Reference

Test Your Knowledge

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ZEROES available in all COBOL compilers?

What data types can ZEROES be used with?

Can ZEROES be used in conditional statements?

What is the difference between ZEROES and the literal 0?

When should you use ZEROES instead of the literal 0?

Related Concepts

ZERO

ZEROS

Numeric Operations

Data Types

Variable Initialization

Related Pages