RE: Need for separate Input and Output Areas in Display File

> -----Original Message-----
> From: R. Bruce Hoffman, Jr. [mailto:rbruceh@attglobal.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2002 11:18 AM
> To: cobol400-l@midrange.com
> Subject: Re: Need for separate Input and Output Areas in Display File
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Winchester Terry" <terry.winchester@raymondcorp.com>
> To: <cobol400-l@midrange.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2002 10:59 AM
> Subject: RE: Need for separate Input and Output Areas in Display File
>
>
> > I believe the only way you can do this is via bound Service
> > Programs -- but I'm not versed in that area. Of course, just
> > calling an RPG program is dead simple (just like CL).
>
> And calling procedures is just as simple:
>
> CALL PROCEDURE "WhatEverTheHellYouWant" USING......

Someday, when I have a *lot* of time I'll read the ILE manuals
on service programs, binding directories, exporting, etc. and
try to incorporate them into my day-to-day programming life :)

> > I wished Cobol had better string handling. The String/Unstring
> > statements work pretty well if you understand but they can
> > become quite complicated.  Having some special "intrinsic
> > functions" like RPG would be nice :)
>
> How bout reference modification?
>
> FIELD-A(12:45)
> That's substring, pos 12, length 45.
> And you can use variables
> FIELD-A(from-pos : toPos)

OOPS.  I completely forgot about this (and I use it everyday...).
Sorry...it must be an age thing :(

Your right, reference modification is *very* powerful.

> How bout they DO have intrinsic functions.... all the trig
> functions, things
> like LOWER-CASE, ADD-DURATION, blah blah blah...
>
> Chapter 15 of the reference....

I know there are intrinsic funtions in Chapter 15 (I also
use these everyday).

IMHO, the following string BIF's provided with RPG are simply much
easier to work with (in my mind) than the alternative Cobol code.

TRIM
TRIMR
TRIML

If you know of any single-line Cobol statements that can mimic
these functions I'd like to know about them ;-)

Terry