Re: [open-cobol-list] Re: possibly bug: Compare: numeric (USAGE COMP ...) with alphanumeric

[Thomas Biehler]

On Sunday 16 May 2004 16:36, Keisuke Nishida wrote:
> At Fri, 7 May 2004 16:01:14 +0200,
>
> Thomas Biehler wrote:
> > i have attached a testprogram "TESTCOMPARE.cob"  (ANSI 1985!)
> > which shows the problematic case of comparison:
> >     PIC S9(4) COMP   =    PIC X(4)
> >     (numeric field with a small value => 1 =  "0001")
>
> This is a bug.  I have fixed it in CVS.
>
> Note that I haven't implemented binary truncation correctly yet,
> and the current implementation might not work as you expect.
>
> Keisuke
>

Hi Keisuke,

I can live with this "bug-fix" and the new behavior of open-cobol.
(=> convert ("move")  the comp-field to a USAGE DISPLAY temporary-field 
     before the alphanumeric compare is "reasonable" behavior)

But i believe that allowing the "critical compare":
  "NON - USAGE DISPLAY" numeric  and  alphanumeric
is NOT ANSI 1985 or ISO 2002  conform! 

(--> I agree with the Compaq COBOL v2.7  compiler from OpenVMS)

To be strictly standard conform a error message instead should be implemented. 
(If open-cobol allow it as now, (IMO  a "extension") then a warning
 would be very helpfull to find the "critical compares" in large  
 cobol-sources)

So far i unterstand the compiler-source, the error reporting here is not 
trivial to implement.
Therefore it should be only a TODO-topic with low / middle priority.
(I know, better error reporting is already TODO, 
   --> so this requirement is only one additional subpoint for the list!)

bye and thanks.

Thomas

P.S.  And also THANKS to all discussion members
        for your contributions!