Extended Functions of ASF › Defining Column Attributes › Specifying Column Formats

Specifying Column Formats

ASF generates an internal and external picture for each column you define, based on the type and width specified on the Column Definition screen. The external picture is displayed in the Display Format field of the Extended Column Definition screen; the internal picture is displayed in the Stored Format field. The following table shows the default formats for each column type.

Default Display and Storage Formats

Change Defaults

You can change the default format provided:

• The Display Format can be modified for all table types (stored or view).
• The Stored Format can be modified for stored tables only.

  Note: The Width on the Column Definition screen corresponds to the Stored Format (internal picture). The Display Format (external picture) determines the size of the response field on the generated map.

Specify New Formats

Specify the display and storage formats, as follows:

• Alphanumeric data is described by using the following characters:
  • X— The character X represents one alphanumeric character.
  • (n)— An integer in parentheses after an X represents n repetitions of the alphanumeric character; for example, X(4) is equivalent to XXXX.
• Alphabetic data is described by using the following characters:
  • A— The character A represents one alphabetic character (A-Z, a-z).
  • (n)— An integer in parentheses after an A represents n repetitions of the alphabetic character.
• Numeric data is described by using the following characters:
  • 9— The character 9 represents one numeric character.
  • (n)— An integer in parentheses after a 9 represents n repetitions of the numeric character.
  • V— The character V represents an assumed decimal point. No more than one V can appear in a column format. If the V is omitted and the P option (described below) is not used, the assumed decimal point is after the rightmost 9.
  • P— The character P represents an assumed zero. Any number of Ps can appear in the leftmost or the rightmost positions of a column format. An assumed decimal point is automatically placed before the first P or after the last P.
  • S— The character S identifies the number as signed, positive or negative. When used, the S must be the first character in the column format. When the S is omitted, values for the column are assumed to be positive.
• Numeric edited data is described by using the characters described above for numeric data, along with the following editing characters:
  • Z— A zero-suppression indicator is replaced from right to left with the corresponding digit unless the digit is a leading zero. A Z replaces any zeros to the left of the first nonzero digit with blanks.
  • $— A dollar sign indicator outputs a dollar sign in the position it occupies in the edit mask.
  • +— A sign indicator is always included in the picture.
  • -— A minus sign indicator is included in the picture when the number is negative. No sign is included if the number is positive.
  • .— A decimal point indicator is included in the picture in the position it occupies in the edit mask.
  • ,— A comma outputs a comma in the position it occupies in the edit mask.

  These characters represent edit symbols and can be used only for the display format of a column.

• If Double Byte Character Set support (DBCS) is installed, Graphic display format may be specified to describe graphic data using the following characters:
  • G— The character G represents one graphic (DBCS) character.
  • (n)— An integer in parentheses after a G represents n repetitions of the graphic (DBCS) character.

Specify Usage

The value specified in the Usage field can affect the storage and display formats of a column. By default, the column usage is DISPLAY for text columns and COMP-3 (packed decimal) for numeric columns. The default display and storage formats shown in :tref refid=formats. above apply to the default usage. If the usage COMP (binary) is specified for a numeric column, the default display and storage formats also apply.

Floating Point Numbers

ASF also supports floating point numbers, both short (single-precision) and long (double-precision). If a usage of COMP-1 (short floating point) or COMP-2 (long floating point) is specified, the display and storage formats are altered as follows:

• The Stored Format field is erased because no internal picture applies to floating point numbers. Either a full word (COMP-1) or a double word (COMP-2) of storage is allocated for the column.
• The display format determines the size of the map field associated with the column in the ASF-generated application. The original default in the Display Format field remains unchanged when the usage is modified. It is recommended that you erase the display format currently displayed and allow it to default to the appropriate display format for the usage specified. This provides a map field large enough for the maximum number that can be stored.
• The Width field on the Column Definition screen is automatically modified to reflect the usage specified. The width is 4 for COMP-1 and 8 for COMP-2.