Intrinsic functions in COBOL

FUNCTION calls compute a value right where a field would sit.

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. INTRINSIC-FUNCTIONS.
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 RAW-ORDER   PIC X(14) VALUE "twelve anchors".
01 LOUD-ORDER  PIC X(14).
01 PRICE-TEXT  PIC X(6) VALUE "417.25".
01 PRICE-NUM   PIC 9(3)V99.
01 PRICE-SHOW  PIC ZZ9.99.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
*> FUNCTION calls compute a value right where a field would sit.
    MOVE FUNCTION UPPER-CASE(RAW-ORDER) TO LOUD-ORDER
    COMPUTE PRICE-NUM = FUNCTION NUMVAL(PRICE-TEXT)
    MOVE PRICE-NUM TO PRICE-SHOW
    DISPLAY LOUD-ORDER " at " PRICE-SHOW
    STOP RUN.

How it works

1. FUNCTION UPPER-CASE(RAW-ORDER) shouts the order inside a MOVE.
2. FUNCTION NUMVAL(PRICE-TEXT) turns display text into a number COMPUTE can use.
3. The edited ZZ9.99 picture puts the decimal point back for printing.

Keywords and builtins used here

• COMPUTE
• DATA
• DISPLAY
• DIVISION
• IDENTIFICATION
• MOVE
• NUMVAL
• PROCEDURE
• SECTION
• STOP

The run, in numbers

Lines

16

Characters to type

526

Tokens

68

Three-star pace

35 tpm

At the three-star pace of 35 tokens a minute, this run takes about 117 seconds.

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Step 1 of 3 in Functions & calls, step 22 of 27 in Language basics.

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