RE: Ugh.

 >> I'm hijacking this reply to report that even the ILE compiler still
converts binary to packed internally.

You only had to ask - I could have told you that without you having to hack
the object!

The reason is simply that COBOL rules state that the value contained within
the variable must be constrained to the size of the picture clause.  If you
have a Pic S9(2) Binary then according to ANSI rules the max value is 99
whereas the actual binary range goes to three digits.  The compiler
therefore generates moves to packed fields to ensure that any excess is
truncated.

Sadly this was an area in which ANSI was vague at best and contradictory at
worst so many compilers did not implement this "filtering".  We added
support way back (NOTRUNC?) in the OPM compiler to enable folks to get past
this and speed up binary operations.  It wasn't until ILE COBOL that it was
fully implemented though and even there I think there is a gap or two.

Jon Paris
Partner400