[WDSCI-L] re: COBOL Question

[MichaelQuigley@xxxxxxxxxx]

   Oh boy, I don't know why IBM hasn't done something to make this easier,
   but there really isn't a direct way to load a timestamp variable in COBOL.
    (Actually, I'm sure there is some legitimate reason, but it would be
   awfully nice to see them do it.)  You've got to get do a series of moves.

   In working storage:

          01  Change-time               pic  x(21).
          01  Change-timestamp          pic  x(26).

   And in the procedure division:

              move  function  current-date  to Change-time
              string  Change-time(1:4)    delimited  by  size
                      '-'                 delimited  by  size
                      Change-time(5:2)    delimited  by  size
                      '-'                 delimited  by  size
                      Change-time(7:2)    delimited  by  size
                      '-'                 delimited  by  size
                      Change-time(9:2)    delimited  by  size
                      '.'                 delimited  by  size
                      Change-time(11:2)   delimited  by  size
                      '.'                 delimited  by  size
                      Change-time(13:2)   delimited  by  size
                      '.000000'           delimited  by  size
                  into Change-timestamp
              end-string
              move Change-timestamp to LastChange

   This is where LastChange is the real timestamp variable.

   HTH

   P.S. This really would be a better question for the cobol400-l list or in
   the COBOL forum on the iSeriesNetwork.  !-)

   Original message:
   -----------------------
   date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 11:53:09 -0600
   from: "Bruce.Vest" <Bruce.Vest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
   subject: [WDSCI-L] COBOL Question

   I know this isn't technically a WDSC question but...

   How do you get the system time into a timestamp variable in COBOL?  I know
   in RPG you can do it with the following D-spec:

   DCurTime          S               T   Inz(*SYS)

   Bruce