[open-cobol-list] Re: NULL and EVALUATE

[Roger While]

Bill, I don't think I agree here.
The definitions at 96/98 are under section 8.4.2 - Identifiers.
This satisfies one of the conditions for the subject of an EVALUATE.
The SR "in a data-pointer or program-pointer relation condition"
says we can compare it, so I would interpret this as meaning it
is perfectly valid as a subject of the EVALUATE.

Roger



> > First, I was in error (in an earlier post) when I indicated that "NULL" 
> > was
> > a figurative constant.  This may (or may not) be true for some extension 
> > to
> > the '85 Standard - but it is NOT true for the '02 Standard.
> >
> > Rather it is defined as "8.4.2.10 Predefined-address" (see page 98)
> >    and/or
> >  "predefined object reference" (see page 96)
> >
> > NEITHER of these is valid as the "Selection-subject" in an EVALUATE
> > statement.
> >
> > See for example SR(1) on page 98 (for the NULL address)
> >
> > "1) This format may be used only as a sending operand in an INITIALIZE or 
> > a
> > SET statement; as an argument in a program-prototype format CALL 
> > statement,
> > a function-prototype format function activation, or a method invocation; 
> > or
> > in a data-pointer or program-pointer relation-condition."
> >
> >   ***