Cobol - how to declare an array dyanamically in cobol.

Revankumar · New User Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 5

Hi,

Is there any way in Cobol to declare the array dyanamically. Because this time if you array size as 100, and later if this size has to be increased...all we need to do is change the size in the program. Instead is it possible to declare the array dynamically so that programs need not be changed later on for the size. So that program should allocate by itself dyanamically as much size as required.

somasundaran_k · Active User Joined: 03 Jun 2003 Posts: 141

Revan
You can't have a dynamic array in COBOL by it's true meaning. But you can create a variable length array ,if you know the maximum possible size of it.
Check this link.
http://publibz.boulder.ibm.com/cgi-bin/bookmgr_OS390/BOOKS/IGY3PG00/1.4.5?DT=20011203125201

hth
-Som

Jagamohan · New User Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 13 Location: Mumbai

hi revan
u can use depending on clause.

but any way u have to specify max size in the occur clause.

So you can give any higher value there for ur need.

thanks
jagamohan

Prasanthhere · Senior Member Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Posts: 304

the only way 2 declare a dyanamic array is thru using the depending clause
its format is as follows

The OCCURS DEPENDING ON clause specifies variable-length tables;All data-names used in the OCCURS clause can be qualified; they cannot be subscripted or indexed.

The following fragment from an invoice record demonstrates the concept:

05 ws-array PIC 99.
05 ws-array OCCURS 0 TO 25 TIMES
DEPENDING ON ws-array.
10 QUANTITY PIC 9999.
10 DESCRIPTION PIC X(30).
10 UNIT-PRICE PIC S9(5)V99