The last time I did anything of note with COBOL was in the mid 1980s.
It's been a long long time and I've forgotten more than I ever knew.

That said, can someone explain to me why the REDEFINES in the code
below doesn't hide the leading zeroes, but the MOVE to display-counter
does.

Kind regards,
Bruce.

identification division.
program-id. ztest.
author. Bruce Axtens.
data division.
working-storage section.
01	counters.
	05	counter1	picture is 99.
	88	is-zero value 0.
	05	counter-display redefines counter1 picture is ZZ.
01	display-counter	picture is ZZ.

procedure division.
100-main section.
	perform with test after varying counter1 from 10 by -1 until is-zero
		display counter1 " " with no advancing
		display counter-display " " with no advancing
		move counter1 to display-counter
		display display-counter
	end-perform.
	stop run.
	end-program.


C:\OpenCobol>ztest
10 10 10
09 09  9
08 08  8
07 07  7
06 06  6
05 05  5
04 04  4
03 03  3
02 02  2
01 01  1
00 00

On Oct 11, 10:15=A0pm, axtens <bruce.axt...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The last time I did anything of note with COBOL was in the mid 1980s.
> It's been a long long time and I've forgotten more than I ever knew.
>
> That said, can someone explain to me why the REDEFINES in the code
> below doesn't hide the leading zeroes, but the MOVE to display-counter
> does.
>
> Kind regards,
> Bruce.
>
> identification division.
> program-id. ztest.
> author. Bruce Axtens.
> data division.
> working-storage section.
> 01 =A0 =A0 =A0counters.
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 05 =A0 =A0 =A0counter1 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0picture is 99.
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 88 =A0 =A0 =A0is-zero value 0.
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 05 =A0 =A0 =A0counter-display redefines counter1 picture =
is ZZ.
> 01 =A0 =A0 =A0display-counter picture is ZZ.
>
> procedure division.
> 100-main section.
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 perform with test after varying counter1 from 10 by -1 un=
til is-zero
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 display counter1 " " with no advancing
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 display counter-display " " with no advan=
cing
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 move counter1 to display-counter
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 display display-counter
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 end-perform.
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 stop run.
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 end-program.
>
> C:\OpenCobol>ztest
> 10 10 10
> 09 09 =A09
> 08 08 =A08
> 07 07 =A07
> 06 06 =A06
> 05 05 =A05
> 04 04 =A04
> 03 03 =A03
> 02 02 =A02
> 01 01 =A01
> 00 00



Somewhat simplified, the formatting happens when you move data to the
field.  So when you move a new value to counter1, it's formatted as
pic 99 at that time.  The pic ZZ field is only read, and that happens
largely like a character field, so the ZZ in counter-display never has
an opportunity to do anything.

<robertwessel2@yahoo.com> wrote in message 
news:4baa074d-e699-4c3f-8670-b39903c1cf96@z28g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
On Oct 11, 10:15 pm, axtens <bruce.axt...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The last time I did anything of note with COBOL was in the mid 1980s.
> It's been a long long time and I've forgotten more than I ever knew.
>
> That said, can someone explain to me why the REDEFINES in the code
> below doesn't hide the leading zeroes, but the MOVE to display-counter
> does.
>
> Kind regards,
> Bruce.
>
> identification division.
> program-id. ztest.
> author. Bruce Axtens.
> data division.
> working-storage section.
> 01 counters.
> 05 counter1 picture is 99.
> 88 is-zero value 0.
> 05 counter-display redefines counter1 picture is ZZ.
> 01 display-counter picture is ZZ.
>
> procedure division.
> 100-main section.
> perform with test after varying counter1 from 10 by -1 until is-zero
> display counter1 " " with no advancing
> display counter-display " " with no advancing
> move counter1 to display-counter
> display display-counter
> end-perform.
> stop run.
> end-program.
>
> C:\OpenCobol>ztest
> 10 10 10
> 09 09 9
> 08 08 8
> 07 07 7
> 06 06 6
> 05 05 5
> 04 04 4
> 03 03 3
> 02 02 2
> 01 01 1
> 00 00



..> Somewhat simplified, the formatting happens when you move data to the
> field.  So when you move a new value to counter1, it's formatted as
> pic 99 at that time.  The pic ZZ field is only read, and that happens
> largely like a character field, so the ZZ in counter-display never has
> an opportunity to do anything.

Another way to think about this is to remember that a REDEFINES *never* 
changes the data in a field.  It is just another way of looking at the data 
that is there.  (As well as determining how that data is received and sent)