COBOL VERBS - INITIALIZE













INITIALIZE



INITIALIZE verb initializes values in a data item to default value.  
Numeric data items initialized with ZEROS. Alphabetic character codes 
initilized with spaces. It wont initialize FILLER.



Example - Initializing elementary data item.

          INITIALIZE  WS-A.

   
  WS-A             WS-A              WS-A
  PICTURE          BEFORE            AFTER 

  9(4)             6847              0000
 
  X(3)             12E                         <- SPACES                        
             
  XX99             WE48                        <- SPACES 
             
  A(4)             WELS                        <- SPACES 





Example - Initializing group data item.

        01  CUSTOMER-RECORD.
             05  Customer-Name.
                   10  FirstName     PIC       X(06).
                   10  MiddleName    PIC       X(1).
                   10  LastName      PIC       X(05).
             05  Customer-DOB.
                   10   Month           PIC       99.
                   10   FILLER          PIC       X  VALUE '/'.
                   10   Day             PIC       99.
                   10   FILLER          PIC       X  VALUE  '/'.
                   10   Year            PIC       99.


        After executing following statement, it will initialize all values 
        to its default values.

        INITIALIZE CUSTOMER-RECORD.


        FirstName, MiddleName & LastName are initialized with SPACES. Month
        , Day & Year are initialized with zeros. Since FILLER wont get initialized
        by INITIALIZE verb, we have used VALUE clause which will initialize FILLER
        When program execution started.


        
       TIP : Using VALUE clause, we can initialize data items. But it works only once
             when program execution started, it will initialize the data item with
             whatever value specified with VALUE clause.

             Example - 01  WS-Month  PIC  99  VALUE 11.


             When program execution started WS-Month data item contains value 11.