July 17, 2002 
 

Previous Version:
 

a.
b.

Page 286, 13.16.22, FORMAT clause, syntax rule 2c3
Page 507, 14.8.33, REWRITE statement, syntax rule 10b

J4/01-0376 http://www.cobolstandard.info/j4010376.htm
SC/22 N2304 (FCD 1989) (Klein/Josling)

The defect was submitted directly to J4 by Mr. Klein, a U. S. citizen, on behalf of
Tim Josling, a resident of Australia

It is not specified how the usage varies with the magnitude.  (Reference 2 Item
99)

.
Solution Proposed by Submitter:

Clarify that the first one that can hold the value is the one used, even if the
precision is less than the precision of the value.  Require a warning on lost
precision.   (Reference 2 Item 9)

July 17, 2002 
 

References 1b and 2b allow only alphanumeric, boolean or national literals as a
source value for a REWRITE … FROM and WRITE … FROM statement
respectively.  The discussion of behavior when literal-1 in a REWRITE … FROM

literal-1 or WRITE … FROM literal-1 statement  that appears in Reference 1a
when a fixed-point numeric or floating-point numeric literal appears as literal-1 in

either of these statements is inapplicable precisely because a fixed-point or
floating-point literal is not allowed in that context.  

Yes, Syntax Rule 2c3e of the FORMAT clause is unclear as to which impicit data
description entry would be used in this context.  Further research revealed,
however, that floating-point numeric literals (and fixed-point numeric literals as

well) are prohibited in the context referenced by this rule by the rules for
REWRITE and WRITE (references 1b and 1c respectively)cannot be used in this

context in the first placeReference 1a is unclear.  Syntax Rule 2c3d addresses
fixed-point literals and Syntax Rule 2c3e addresses floating-point literals; neither
is needed.