HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation

HP COBOL
Reference Manual

Function

The ACCEPT statement makes low-volume data available to the program. The Hewlett-Packard extensions to the ACCEPT statement (Formats 3, 4, and 5) are COBOL language additions that facilitate video forms design and data handling. The WITH CONVERSION phrase and some other options in Format 1 are also Hewlett-Packard extensions.

Format 6 retrieves the number of arguments on the program run command line, Format 7 reads those command line arguments into designated program variables, and Format 8 reads environment variables and logicals into designated program variables.

dest-item

is the identifier of a data item into which data is accepted.

input-source

is a mnemonic-name defined in the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph of the Environment Division.

stment

is an imperative statement executed when the relevant condition (at end or on exception) occurs.

stment2

is an imperative statement executed when the relevant condition (not at end or not on exception) occurs.

stment3

is an imperative statement executed when an attempt is made to read beyond the last argument on the command line, or if the command line argument does not exist.

stment4

is an imperative statement executed if the name of a referenced environment variable or logical has not been set, or if the referenced environment variable or logical does not exist.

stment5

is an imperative statement executed if the exception condition does not exist.

line-num

is a numeric literal that specifies a line position on the terminal screen. line-num must be a positive integer; it cannot be zero.

line-id

is the identifier of a data item that provides a line position on the terminal screen. It must be a positive integer; it cannot be zero.

plus-num

is a numeric literal that increments the current value for line or column position, or that increments the value of line-id or column-id. plus-num can be zero or a positive integer.

column-num

is a numeric literal that specifies a column position on the terminal screen. column-num must be a positive integer; it cannot be zero.

column-id

is the identifier of a data item that provides a column position on the terminal screen. It must be a positive integer; it cannot be zero.

prot-size-lit

is a numeric literal that specifies the maximum length of the video screen field into which data can be typed. prot-size-lit must be a positive integer; it cannot be zero.

prot-size-item

is the identifier of a numeric integer data item that specifies the maximum length of the video screen field into which data can be typed. prot-size-item must be a positive integer; it cannot be zero.

prot-fill-lit

is a single character alphanumeric literal that is used to initialize each character position of a protected video screen field into which data can be typed.

def-src-lit

is a nonnumeric literal or a figurative constant. However, it cannot be the figurative constant ALL literal.

def-src-item

is the identifier of an alphanumeric data item.

key-dest-item

is the identifier of a data item that defines a control key. key-dest-item must specify an alphanumeric data item at least four characters in length.

screen-name

is the name of a screen item defined in the SCREEN SECTION of the program.

arg-count

is a mnemonic name associated with ARGUMENT-NUMBER in the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph in the Environment Division. It represents the number of arguments present on the run command line.

arg-value

is a mnemonic name associated with ARGUMENT-VALUE in the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph in the Environment Division. It contains the value of the argument on the run command line specivied by the current argument position indicator.

envlog-value

is a mnemonic name associated with ENVIRONMENT-VALUE in the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph in the Environment Division. It contains the value of a selected environment variable or system logical.

Syntax Rules

Format 3

1. You cannot specify a phrase more than once for any dest-item.
2. When you use the DEFAULT phrase and the PROTECTED phrase without the SIZE option, the size of def-src-item or def-src-lit must be less than or equal to the size of dest-item.
3. When you use the DEFAULT phrase and the PROTECTED phrase with the SIZE option, the size of def-src-item and def-src-lit must be less than or equal to prot-size-lit. If prot-size-item is specified and the specified size at run time is less than the length of def-src-item or def-src-lit, reprompting occurs.
4. The FILLER phrase cannot be used with the EDITING phrase. If both are present, the FILLER phrase is ignored.

Format 4

5. You cannot specify a phrase more than once for any key-dest-item.

Format 6 (Alpha, I64)

6. dest-item must reference a data item described as an unsigned integer.

Formats 7 and 8 (Alpha, I64)

7. dest-item must reference an alphanumeric data item. <>

General Rules

Format 1

1. The ACCEPT statement transfers data from input-source. The transferred data replaces the contents of dest-item.
2. The ACCEPT statement transfers a stream of characters with no editing or conversion, unless the WITH CONVERSION phrase is specified. Data transfer begins with the leftmost character position of dest-item and continues to the right.
3. If the data does not completely fill dest-item, remaining character positions are filled with spaces. If the data is too long for dest-item, it is truncated on the right.
4. The ACCEPT statement treats dest-item as alphanumeric, regardless of its class, unless the WITH CONVERSION phrase is specified.
5. If there is no FROM phrase, the ACCEPT statement transfers data from the default system input device.

Format 2

6. The ACCEPT statement transfers data to dest-item according to the MOVE statement rules.
7. DATE, DAY, DAY-OF-WEEK, and TIME are not actual data items. Therefore, the source program must not describe them.
8. DATE has three elements. From left to right, they are as follows:
   • Year of century (four digits if you specify YYYYMMDD, two digits if you do not)
   • Month of year (two digits)
   • Day of month (two digits)
   
   The ACCEPT statement operates as if DATE were described in the program as an eight-digit or six-digit, unsigned, elementary, numeric integer data item (PIC 9(8) or PIC 9(6)).
   For example, June 3, 1997 is expressed as 19970603 or 970603.⁵
9. DAY has two elements. From left to right, they are as follows:
   • Year of century (four digits if you specify YYYYDDD, two digits if you do not)
   • Day of year (three digits)
   
   The ACCEPT statement operates as if DAY were described in the program as a seven-digit or five-digit, unsigned, elementary, numeric integer data item (PIC 9(7) or (PIC 9(5)).
   For example, the fifteenth day of 1998 is expressed as 1998015 or 98015.+
   The YYYYMMDD and YYYYDDD options are Hewlett-Packard extensions.
10. DAY-OF-WEEK is a one-digit item that represents the day of the week.
    The ACCEPT statement operates as if DAY-OF-WEEK were described in the program as a one-digit, unsigned, elementary numeric integer data item.
    The values of DAY-OF-WEEK range from 1 (for Monday) to 7 (for Sunday).
11. TIME represents elapsed time after midnight, as shown on a 24-hour clock. It has four, two-digit elements. From left to right, they are as follows:
    • Hours
    • Minutes
    • Seconds
    • Hundredths of a second <>
    
    The ACCEPT statement operates as if TIME were described in the program as an eight-digit, unsigned elementary numeric integer data item (PIC 9(8)).
    The time 6:13 PM is expressed as 18130000. The minimum and maximum values of TIME are 00000000 and 23595999.

Formats 3 and 4

12. The ACCEPT statement transfers data from a video terminal. The data replaces the contents of dest-item (Format 3), or key-dest-item (Format 4). Format 3 can also update key-dest-item.
13. The presence of either the LINE NUMBER phrase or the COLUMN NUMBER phrase implies NO ADVANCING. The cursor remains on the character position immediately following the position of the last input character or in the position immediately following the rightmost position in the protected area. (For example, ACCEPT... PROTECTED SIZE 10 LINE 1 COLUMN 1, leaves the cursor at line 1, column 11, no matter what is typed in.) This is the default starting position of the next data item the program will input from or display upon the terminal.
14. If you do not use either the LINE NUMBER phrase or the COLUMN NUMBER phrase, data is accepted according to positioning rules for the Format 1 ACCEPT statement.

Formats 3, 4, and 5

15. The execution of certain extended ACCEPTs when the input source is assigned to a file (for example, in batch mode on OpenVMS systems), is a restriction. Syntax and actions that result in outputs from the ACCEPT operation (positioning, erasing, setting character attributes, reprompting, and protecting) to a nonvideo terminal are not supported and are ignored.

LINE NUMBER Phrase (Formats 3 and 4)

16. The LINE NUMBER phrase positions the cursor on a specific line of the video screen for data input.
17. If the LINE NUMBER phrase does not appear, but the COLUMN NUMBER phrase does, then data is accepted from the current line position and specified column position.
18. If line-num or the value of line-id is greater than the bottommost line position of the current screen, program results are undefined. (See Technical Notes.) Scrolling results if relative positioning is attempted past the bottom of the screen.
19. If you use line-id without its PLUS option, the line position is the value of line-id.
20. If you use line-id with its PLUS option, the line position is the sum of plus-num and the value of line-id.
21. If you use the PLUS option without line-id, the line position is the sum of plus-num and the value of the current line position.
22. If you use the PLUS option, but you do not specify plus-num, then PLUS 1 is implied.
23. Data input results are undefined if your program generates a value for line-id that is one of the following:
    • Zero
    • Negative
    • Greater than the bottommost line position of the current screen