COBOL Tutorial

COBOL ZEROS - Quick Reference

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Overview

ZEROS 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. ZEROS is the plural form of the zero constant, with ZERO being the singular form and ZEROES being an alternative 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

ZEROS usage patterns for initialization, comparisons, and calculations.

Basic ZEROS Initialization

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

Basic ZEROS initialization of numeric variables.

ZEROS in Comparisons

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

ZEROS usage in conditional statements and comparisons.

ZEROS in Arithmetic Operations

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

ZEROS 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 ZEROS.
01  TOTAL      PIC 9(8)V99 VALUE ZEROS.
01  BALANCE    PIC S9(10)V99 VALUE ZEROS.

Conditional Checks

Check if values are zero.

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

Arithmetic Operations

Use ZEROS in calculations.

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

Loop Control

Use ZEROS for loop initialization.

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

Best Practices

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

ZEROS Quick Reference

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

Test Your Knowledge

1. What is the primary purpose of ZEROS 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 ZEROS compare to ZERO and ZEROES in COBOL?

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

3. What is the main use case for ZEROS 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 ZEROS 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 ZEROS 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 ZEROS constant.

ZEROES

Alternative 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.

ZERO ZEROES

COBOL Tutorial

COBOL ZEROS - Quick Reference

Overview

Key Features

Syntax and Usage

Basic ZEROS Initialization

ZEROS in Comparisons

ZEROS in Arithmetic Operations

Usage Patterns

Variable Initialization

Conditional Checks

Arithmetic Operations

Loop Control

Best Practices

ZEROS Quick Reference

Test Your Knowledge

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ZEROS available in all COBOL compilers?

What data types can ZEROS be used with?

Can ZEROS be used in conditional statements?

What is the difference between ZEROS and the literal 0?

When should you use ZEROS instead of the literal 0?

Related Concepts

ZERO

ZEROES

Numeric Operations

Data Types

Variable Initialization

Related Pages