POINTERADD

POINTERADD returns a pointer value that is the sum of its arguments.

Read syntax diagramSkip visual syntax diagramPOINTERADD( x, y)

Abbreviation: PTRADD

x
Pointer expression.
y
Expression that must have a computational type and is converted to FIXED BINARY(31,0).

POINTERADD can be used as a locator for a based variable.

POINTERADD can be used for subtraction by prefixing the operand to be subtracted with a minus sign.

There is no need to use POINTERADD to increment a pointer - you can simply increment the pointer as you would an integer. For example, there is no need to write: 
      p = pointeradd(p,2);
Instead, you could write either of the following equivalent statements: 
      p = p + 2;
      p += 2;
However, POINTERADD can be useful in dereferencing the storage at a location offset from a pointer, as in the following example: 
      dcl x fixed bin(31), b based fixed bin(31);
      x = pointeradd(p,2)->b;
Note, however, since a locator in PL/I must be a reference, you cannot write 
      x = (p + 2)->b;