COBOL - String Handpng

String handpng statements in COBOL are used to do multiple functional operations on strings. Following are the string handpng statements −

Inspect

String

Unstring

Inspect

Inspect verb is used to count or replace the characters in a string. String operations can be performed on alphanumeric, numeric, or alphabetic values. Inspect operations are performed from left to right. The options used for the string operations are as follows −

Tallying

Tallying option is used to count the string characters.

Syntax

Following is the syntax of Tallying option −

INSPECT input-string
TALLYING output-count FOR ALL CHARACTERS

The parameters used are −

input-string − The string whose characters are to be counted.

output-count − Data item to hold the count of characters.

Example

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HELLO.

DATA DIVISION.
   WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
   01 WS-CNT1 PIC 9(2) VALUE 0.
   01 WS-CNT2 PIC 9(2) VALUE 0.
   01 WS-STRING PIC X(15) VALUE  ABCDACDADEAAAFF .
   
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
   INSPECT WS-STRING TALLYING WS-CNT1 FOR CHARACTER.
   DISPLAY "WS-CNT1 : "WS-CNT1.
   INSPECT WS-STRING TALLYING WS-CNT2 FOR ALL  A .
   DISPLAY "WS-CNT2 : "WS-CNT2
   
STOP RUN.

JCL to execute the above COBOL program.

//SAMPLE JOB(TESTJCL,XXXXXX),CLASS = A,MSGCLASS = C
//STEP1 EXEC PGM = HELLO

When you compile and execute the above program, it produces the following result −

WS-CNT1 : 15
WS-CNT2 : 06

Replacing

Replacing option is used to replace the string characters.

Syntax

Following is the syntax of Replacing option −

INSPECT input-string REPLACING ALL char1 BY char2.

The parameter used is −

input-string − The string whose characters are to be replaced from char1 to char2.

Example

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HELLO.

DATA DIVISION.
   WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
   01 WS-STRING PIC X(15) VALUE  ABCDACDADEAAAFF .

PROCEDURE DIVISION.
   DISPLAY "OLD STRING : "WS-STRING.
   INSPECT WS-STRING REPLACING ALL  A  BY  X .
   DISPLAY "NEW STRING : "WS-STRING.
   
STOP RUN.

//SAMPLE JOB(TESTJCL,XXXXXX),CLASS = A,MSGCLASS = C
//STEP1 EXEC PGM = HELLO

OLD STRING : ABCDACDADEAAAFF
NEW STRING : XBCDXCDXDEXXXFF

STRING ws-string1 DELIMITED BY SPACE
   ws-string2 DELIMITED BY SIZE
   INTO ws-destination-string
   WITH POINTER ws-count
   ON OVERFLOW DISPLAY message1
   NOT ON OVERFLOW DISPLAY message2
END-STRING.

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HELLO.

DATA DIVISION.
   WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
   01 WS-STRING PIC A(30).
   01 WS-STR1 PIC A(15) VALUE  Tutorialspoint .
   01 WS-STR2 PIC A(7) VALUE  Welcome .
   01 WS-STR3 PIC A(7) VALUE  To AND .
   01 WS-COUNT PIC 99 VALUE 1.

PROCEDURE DIVISION.
   STRING WS-STR2 DELIMITED BY SIZE
      WS-STR3 DELIMITED BY SPACE
      WS-STR1 DELIMITED BY SIZE
      INTO WS-STRING 
      WITH POINTER WS-COUNT
      ON OVERFLOW DISPLAY  OVERFLOW!  
   END-STRING.
   
   DISPLAY  WS-STRING :  WS-STRING.
   DISPLAY  WS-COUNT :  WS-COUNT.

STOP RUN.

//SAMPLE JOB(TESTJCL,XXXXXX),CLASS = A,MSGCLASS = C
//STEP1 EXEC PGM = HELLO

WS-STRING : WelcomeToTutorialspoint       
WS-COUNT : 25

UNSTRING ws-string DELIMITED BY SPACE
INTO ws-str1, ws-str2
WITH POINTER ws-count
ON OVERFLOW DISPLAY message
NOT ON OVERFLOW DISPLAY message
END-UNSTRING.

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HELLO.

DATA DIVISION.
   WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
   01 WS-STRING PIC A(30) VALUE  WELCOME TO TUTORIALSPOINT .
   01 WS-STR1 PIC A(7).
   01 WS-STR2 PIC A(2).
   01 WS-STR3 PIC A(15).
   01 WS-COUNT PIC 99 VALUE 1.

PROCEDURE DIVISION.
   UNSTRING WS-STRING DELIMITED BY SPACE
      INTO WS-STR1, WS-STR2, WS-STR3
   END-UNSTRING.
   
   DISPLAY  WS-STR1 :  WS-STR1.
   DISPLAY  WS-STR2 :  WS-STR2.
   DISPLAY  WS-STR3 :  WS-STR3.
   
STOP RUN.

//SAMPLE JOB(TESTJCL,XXXXXX),CLASS = A,MSGCLASS = C
//STEP1 EXEC PGM = HELLO

WS-STR1 : WELCOME
WS-STR2 : TO
WS-STR3 : TUTORIALSPOINT