COBOL Tutorial

VALUE Clause in COBOL

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VALUE Clause for Initialization

The VALUE clause in COBOL is used to assign initial values to data items in the DATA DIVISION. It provides a convenient way to set up default values without having to write explicit initialization code in the PROCEDURE DIVISION.

Basic VALUE Clause Syntax

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01 WS-COUNTER      PIC 9(3) VALUE 0.
01 WS-NAME         PIC X(20) VALUE "UNKNOWN".
01 WS-INITIALIZED  PIC X(5) VALUE SPACES.
01 WS-FLAG         PIC X VALUE 'Y'.

The keyword IS (VALUE IS) is optional but commonly included for readability.

The VALUE clause can be used with elementary items and, in some cases, with group items. When initializing an elementary item, the value must be compatible with the item's PICTURE clause:

Numeric Values

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01 WS-COUNT    PIC 9(3) VALUE 100.
01 WS-AMOUNT   PIC 9(5)V99 VALUE 123.45.
01 WS-NEGATIVE PIC S9(4) VALUE -25.

Alphanumeric Values

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01 WS-NAME     PIC X(10) VALUE "JOHN".
01 WS-CODE     PIC XXX VALUE "ABC".
01 WS-MIXED    PIC X(5) VALUE "A1B2C".

THROUGH/THRU for Ranges

The THROUGH (or THRU) keyword is used with 88-level condition names to specify a range of values. This is particularly useful for defining valid ranges for data validation.

Using Value Ranges

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01 WS-GRADE        PIC 9(3).
   88 PASSING-GRADE VALUE 60 THRU 100.
   88 FAILING-GRADE VALUE 0 THRU 59.
   
01 WS-CODE         PIC X.
   88 VALID-LETTER VALUE "A" THRU "Z".
   88 VALID-DIGIT  VALUE "0" THRU "9".

The range is inclusive, meaning both endpoints are included in the valid values.

When using THRU with alphanumeric data, the comparison is based on the collating sequence of the characters. This means "A" THRU "Z" includes all uppercase letters according to the ASCII or EBCDIC collating sequence.

Literal Types (Numeric, Alphanumeric)

COBOL supports different types of literals for use with the VALUE clause:

Numeric Literals

Integer literals: VALUE 123
Decimal literals: VALUE 123.45
Signed literals: VALUE -100
Zero: VALUE 0 or VALUE ZERO

Alphanumeric Literals

Quoted strings: VALUE "ABC" or VALUE 'XYZ'
Mixed content: VALUE "A1B2"
Space filled: VALUE "A" & rest filled with spaces
Special characters: VALUE "*@#$"

Using the ALL Keyword

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01 WS-STARS        PIC X(10) VALUE ALL "*".
01 WS-ZEROES       PIC 9(5) VALUE ALL "0".
01 WS-REPEATED     PIC X(12) VALUE ALL "ABC".

The ALL keyword repeats the specified character or string to fill the entire data item.

Multiple Values for 88-Level Items

88-level items (condition names) can have multiple values or value ranges, making them powerful for data validation and conditional logic.

Multiple Values Syntax

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01 WS-STATE-CODE     PIC XX.
   88 EAST-COAST     VALUE "NY" "NJ" "CT" "MA" "RI" "ME" "NH" "VT".
   88 WEST-COAST     VALUE "CA" "OR" "WA".
   88 VALID-STATE    VALUE "NY" "NJ" "CT" "MA" "RI" "ME" "NH" "VT"
                           "CA" "OR" "WA" "AZ" "NV" "ID" "MT" "CO"
                           "TX" "FL" "GA" "NC" "SC" "TN" "KY" "OH"
                           "PA" "MI" "IL" "IN" "MO" "IA" "MN" "WI".
 
01 WS-RESPONSE       PIC X.
   88 AFFIRMATIVE    VALUE "Y" "y" "1" "+".
   88 NEGATIVE       VALUE "N" "n" "0" "-".
   88 VALID-RESPONSE VALUE "Y" "y" "N" "n" "1" "0" "+" "-".

You can combine individual values with ranges in a single VALUE clause:

Combining Values and Ranges

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01 WS-CHAR           PIC X.
   88 SPECIAL-CHAR    VALUE "!" "@" "#" "$" "%" "^" "&" "*".
   88 ALPHANUMERIC    VALUE "A" THRU "Z" "a" THRU "z" "0" THRU "9".
   88 VALID-INPUT     VALUE "A" THRU "Z" "a" THRU "z" "0" THRU "9"
                            "!" "@" "#" "$" "%" "^" "&" "*" "_" "-".

Using 88-level items with multiple values simplifies conditional logic in the PROCEDURE DIVISION:

Using Multiple Values in Conditions

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DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 WS-STATE-CODE     PIC XX.
   88 EAST-COAST     VALUE "NY" "NJ" "CT" "MA" "RI" "ME" "NH" "VT".
   88 WEST-COAST     VALUE "CA" "OR" "WA".
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
    DISPLAY "Enter state code: ".
    ACCEPT WS-STATE-CODE.
    
    IF EAST-COAST
        DISPLAY "East Coast state selected"
    ELSE IF WEST-COAST
        DISPLAY "West Coast state selected"
    ELSE
        DISPLAY "Neither East nor West Coast state"
    END-IF.

Figurative Constants (SPACES, ZEROS, etc.)

COBOL provides several figurative constants that can be used with the VALUE clause for common initialization patterns:

Common Figurative Constants

ZERO, ZEROS, ZEROES - Initialize with 0s
SPACE, SPACES - Initialize with spaces
HIGH-VALUE, HIGH-VALUES - Highest value in collating sequence
LOW-VALUE, LOW-VALUES - Lowest value in collating sequence
QUOTE, QUOTES - Quotation marks
ALL literal - Repeated literal value

Examples

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01 WS-NAME         PIC X(20) VALUE SPACES.
01 WS-COUNTER      PIC 9(5) VALUE ZEROS.
01 WS-EOF-FLAG     PIC X VALUE HIGH-VALUE.
01 WS-NULLS        PIC X(4) VALUE LOW-VALUES.
01 WS-QUOTED       PIC X(3) VALUE QUOTES.

Figurative constants automatically adjust to fill the entire size of the data item, making them versatile for initialization.

Cautions with Figurative Constants

HIGH-VALUES and LOW-VALUES depend on the character set (ASCII or EBCDIC)
On EBCDIC systems, LOW-VALUES is binary zeros, but not on ASCII systems
Use caution when moving between character sets or platforms
For numeric data items, use ZERO or ZEROS rather than SPACES

Exercise: Working with VALUE Clauses

Complete the following COBOL program by adding appropriate VALUE clauses for initialization:

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IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. VALUEEX.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  EMPLOYEE-RECORD.
    05  EMPLOYEE-ID           PIC 9(5).
    05  EMPLOYEE-NAME         PIC X(30).
    05  EMPLOYEE-TYPE         PIC X.
        88  FULL-TIME         _____________________.
        88  PART-TIME         _____________________.
        88  CONTRACT          _____________________.
        88  VALID-TYPE        _____________________.
    05  SALARY-GRADE          PIC 9(2).
        88  ENTRY-LEVEL       _____________________.
        88  MID-LEVEL         _____________________.
        88  SENIOR-LEVEL      _____________________.
    05  DATE-HIRED            PIC X(10).
    05  STATUS-CODE           PIC 9.
        88  ACTIVE            _____________________.
        88  ON-LEAVE          _____________________.
        88  TERMINATED        _____________________.
 
01  WORK-AREAS.
    05  ERROR-COUNTER         PIC 9(3) ____________.
    05  VALID-DATA-FLAG       PIC X ____________.
    05  REPORT-HEADER         PIC X(20) ____________.
    05  SEPARATOR-LINE        PIC X(50) ____________.
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
    DISPLAY "Value Clause Exercise".
    
    IF VALID-TYPE AND ACTIVE
        DISPLAY "Valid and active employee"
    END-IF.
    
    DISPLAY SEPARATOR-LINE.
    STOP RUN.

Fill in the blanks with appropriate VALUE clauses.

Knowledge Check

Test Your Knowledge

1. What is the primary purpose of the VALUE clause in COBOL?

To define the data type of a field
To initialize data items with specific values
To calculate values at runtime
To restrict the size of a field

2. How would you initialize a field with the value "UNKNOWN"?

VALUE IS "UNKNOWN"
VALUE IS UNKNOWN
VALUE "UNKNOWN"
VALUE = "UNKNOWN"

3. Which figurative constant represents binary zeros?

ZEROES
NULLS
BINARY-ZEROS
LOW-VALUES

4. When using the THROUGH/THRU option with 88-level items, what does it define?

A recursive initialization pattern
A range of acceptable values
A linked list of values
An array of values

5. Which of the following is a valid VALUE clause for a numeric field?

VALUE IS "123"
VALUE IS 123
VALUE IS ZEROES
All of the above

Frequently Asked Questions

USAGE Clause Data Types and Representation

COBOL Tutorial

VALUE Clause in COBOL

VALUE Clause for Initialization

Basic VALUE Clause Syntax

Numeric Values

Alphanumeric Values

THROUGH/THRU for Ranges

Using Value Ranges

Literal Types (Numeric, Alphanumeric)

Numeric Literals

Alphanumeric Literals

Using the ALL Keyword

Multiple Values for 88-Level Items

Multiple Values Syntax

Combining Values and Ranges

Using Multiple Values in Conditions

Figurative Constants (SPACES, ZEROS, etc.)

Common Figurative Constants

Examples

Cautions with Figurative Constants

Exercise: Working with VALUE Clauses

Knowledge Check

Test Your Knowledge

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change a value initialized with the VALUE clause at runtime?

Can I use the VALUE clause with group items?

What is the difference between ALL "X" and "XXX" in a VALUE clause?

How do I initialize an array (table) with the same value for all elements?

Can an 88-level item have both individual values and value ranges?