COBOL - String Handling
String handling statements in COBOL are used to do multiple functional operations on strings. Following are the string handling statements −
Inspect
Inspect verb is used to count or replace the characters in a string. String operations can be performed on alphanumeric, numeric, or alphabetic values. Inspect operations are performed from left to right. The options used for the string operations are as follows −
Tallying
Tallying option is used to count the string characters.
Syntax
Following is the syntax of Tallying option −
INSPECT input-string
TALLYING output-count FOR ALL CHARACTERS
The parameters used are −
- input-string − The string whose characters are to be counted.
- output-count − Data item to hold the count of characters.
Example
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HELLO.
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 WS-CNT1 PIC 9(2) VALUE 0.
01 WS-CNT2 PIC 9(2) VALUE 0.
01 WS-STRING PIC X(15) VALUE 'ABCDACDADEAAAFF'.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
INSPECT WS-STRING TALLYING WS-CNT1 FOR CHARACTER.
DISPLAY "WS-CNT1 : "WS-CNT1.
INSPECT WS-STRING TALLYING WS-CNT2 FOR ALL 'A'.
DISPLAY "WS-CNT2 : "WS-CNT2
STOP RUN.
JCL to execute the above COBOL program.
//SAMPLE JOB(TESTJCL,XXXXXX),CLASS = A,MSGCLASS = C
//STEP1 EXEC PGM = HELLO
When you compile and execute the above program, it produces the following result −
WS-CNT1 : 15
WS-CNT2 : 06
Replacing
Replacing option is used to replace the string characters.
Syntax
Following is the syntax of Replacing option −
INSPECT input-string REPLACING ALL char1 BY char2.
The parameter used is −
Example
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HELLO.
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 WS-STRING PIC X(15) VALUE 'ABCDACDADEAAAFF'.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
DISPLAY "OLD STRING : "WS-STRING.
INSPECT WS-STRING REPLACING ALL 'A' BY 'X'.
DISPLAY "NEW STRING : "WS-STRING.
STOP RUN.
JCL to execute the above COBOL program.
//SAMPLE JOB(TESTJCL,XXXXXX),CLASS = A,MSGCLASS = C
//STEP1 EXEC PGM = HELLO
When you compile and execute the above program, it produces the following result −
OLD STRING : ABCDACDADEAAAFF
NEW STRING : XBCDXCDXDEXXXFF
String
String verb is used to concatenate the strings. Using STRING statement, two or more strings of characters can be combined to form a longer string. ‘Delimited By’ clause is compulsory.
Syntax
Following is the syntax of String verb −
STRING ws-string1 DELIMITED BY SPACE
ws-string2 DELIMITED BY SIZE
INTO ws-destination-string
WITH POINTER ws-count
ON OVERFLOW DISPLAY message1
NOT ON OVERFLOW DISPLAY message2
END-STRING.
Following are the details of the used parameters −
- ws-string1 and ws-string2 : Input strings to be concatenated
- ws-string : Output string
- ws-count : Used to count the length of new concatenated string
- Delimited specifies the end of string
- Pointer and Overflow are optional
Example
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HELLO.
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 WS-STRING PIC A(30).
01 WS-STR1 PIC A(15) VALUE 'Howcodex'.
01 WS-STR2 PIC A(7) VALUE 'Welcome'.
01 WS-STR3 PIC A(7) VALUE 'To AND'.
01 WS-COUNT PIC 99 VALUE 1.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
STRING WS-STR2 DELIMITED BY SIZE
WS-STR3 DELIMITED BY SPACE
WS-STR1 DELIMITED BY SIZE
INTO WS-STRING
WITH POINTER WS-COUNT
ON OVERFLOW DISPLAY 'OVERFLOW!'
END-STRING.
DISPLAY 'WS-STRING : 'WS-STRING.
DISPLAY 'WS-COUNT : 'WS-COUNT.
STOP RUN.
JCL to execute the above COBOL program −
//SAMPLE JOB(TESTJCL,XXXXXX),CLASS = A,MSGCLASS = C
//STEP1 EXEC PGM = HELLO
When you compile and execute the above program, it produces the following result −
WS-STRING : WelcomeToHowcodex
WS-COUNT : 25
Unstring
Unstring verb is used to split one string into multiple sub-strings. Delimited By clause is compulsory.
Syntax
Following is the syntax of Unstring verb −
UNSTRING ws-string DELIMITED BY SPACE
INTO ws-str1, ws-str2
WITH POINTER ws-count
ON OVERFLOW DISPLAY message
NOT ON OVERFLOW DISPLAY message
END-UNSTRING.
Example
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HELLO.
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 WS-STRING PIC A(30) VALUE 'WELCOME TO TUTORIALSPOINT'.
01 WS-STR1 PIC A(7).
01 WS-STR2 PIC A(2).
01 WS-STR3 PIC A(15).
01 WS-COUNT PIC 99 VALUE 1.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
UNSTRING WS-STRING DELIMITED BY SPACE
INTO WS-STR1, WS-STR2, WS-STR3
END-UNSTRING.
DISPLAY 'WS-STR1 : 'WS-STR1.
DISPLAY 'WS-STR2 : 'WS-STR2.
DISPLAY 'WS-STR3 : 'WS-STR3.
STOP RUN.
JCL to execute the above COBOL program −
//SAMPLE JOB(TESTJCL,XXXXXX),CLASS = A,MSGCLASS = C
//STEP1 EXEC PGM = HELLO
When you compile and execute the above program, it produces the following result −
WS-STR1 : WELCOME
WS-STR2 : TO
WS-STR3 : TUTORIALSPOINT
