Field validation in COBOL/CICS - cobol

Question

I'm editing some source code for my college Transaction Processing course. We're working with COBOL/CICS, and the program is a video tape rental system. We have a list of changes to make, and one item has me stuck (it's been since Fall semester of 2010 since I took the COBOL course, so unfortunately I'm far more rusty than I should be). There is a "customer maintenance" section, in which the user can add new customers. One of the items for a new customer is the zip code, and as it stands it will take any input as valid input, but we need to make it accept only numeric values (which I do know how to do) as well as a specific format: Either '12345', '123456789', or '12345-6789', and should only write to the record as '12345' or '12345-6789'. Anything else, such as '1234' or 12345-6' will result in an error. How do I check these fields for the proper format?

Answer 1

Since the valid data format is fixed, it is easy.
05 nice-name-for-zip-code pic x(10).
05 filler redefines nice-name-for-zip-code.
10 simple-zip-first-part pic x(5).
10 simple-zip-last-part pic x(5).
88 simple-zip-last-part-valid value space.
05 filler redefines nice-name-for-zip-code.
10 complex-zip-first-part pic x(5).
10 complex-zip-separator pic x.
88 complex-zip-separator value "-".
10 complex-zip-last-part pic x(4).
05 filler redefines nice-name-for-zip-code.
10 long-zip-first-part pic x(9).
10 long-zip-last-part pic x.
88 long-zip-last-part-valid value space.
if ( simple-zip-first-part numeric )
and ( simple-zip-last-part-valid )
....
if ( complex-zip-first-part numeric )
and ( complex-zip-separator-valid )
and ( complex-zip-last-part numeric )
....
if ( long-zip-first-part numeric )
and ( long-zip-last-part-valid )
....
If any of the IFs is true, you have a valid format. Otherwise, invalid.

Answer 2

A different approach might be to let CICS BMS support do most of the
validation and editing for you. This assumes you are using a 3270 type
terminal with CICS (which is probably the case)
Try setting the Zip Code up as a group field on the BMS map. This has the effect
of creating a single input field with multiple parts to it.
Your BMS Map definition would look something like:
ZIP1 DFHMDF POS=(2,1),LENGTH=5,GRPNAME=ZIP,ATTRB=(UNPROT,NUM)
SEP DFHMDF POS=(2,6),LENGTH=1,GRPNAME=ZIP,ATTRB=(ASKIP,NORM),INITIAL='-'
ZIP2 DFHMDF POS=(2,7),LENGTH=5,GRPNAME=ZIP,ATTRB=(UNPROT,NUM),JUSTIFY=(LEFT,BLANK)
The Zip code will appear at the beginning of line 2 (POS=(2..)). It will have a 5 digit input
field (ZIP1) for the first part of the Zip Code, followed by a hard coded input protected
dash (SEP) and another left justified 5
digit blank filled input field (ZIP2) for the last part of the Zip code.
From this point on, BMS will force the user to enter 5 digits into the first part of the Zip Code,
cannot touch the dash and optionally enter zero to 5 digits in the second part of
the input field. None of these fields will accept non-numeric data (except the SEP, which is input protected)
When you retrieve the data from the screen all you need to do is check to see
if ZIP2 is numeric to figure out if a long or short Zip code was entered. If
a long Zip, then store the whole thing, if short, only store ZIP1.

Answer 3

You could also use the CICS command BIF DEEDIT, which will remove non-numeric chars, the minus passes that test. After that, test for a length of 5 or 10.
Or, you could use an 88 like this:
01 Zip-Validation-Field.
02 filler pic x(5).
88 Zip-Valid value '00000' thru '99999'.
02 filler pic x(5).
88 Zip-plus-4-valid value '-0000' thru '-9999'.
And test with:
If Zip-Valid and Zip-plus-4-valid...

Answer 4

You can use MOVE CORR
01 TX-ZIPCODE PIC X(08) VALUE ' - '.
01 TX-ZIPCODE-R REDEFINES TX-ZIPCODE.
03 ZIPCODE-P1 PIC 9(04).
03 FILLER PIC X(01).
03 ZIPCODE-P2 PIC 9(03).
01 NUM-ZIPCODE PIC X(07).
01 NUM-ZIPCODE-R REDEFINES NUM-ZIPCODE.
03 ZIPCODE-P1 PIC 9(04).
03 ZIPCODE-P2 PIC 9(03).
MOVE CORR TX-ZIPCODE-R TO NUM-ZIPCODE-R.
IF NUM-ZIPCODE IS NOT NUMERIC
* ERRO
END-IF.
Hope I have help you! :)