Defining DBCS data
Use the PICTURE and USAGE clauses to define DBCS data items. DBCS data items can use PICTURE symbols G, G and B,
or N. Each DBCS character position is 2 bytes in
length.
About this task
You
can specify a DBCS data item by using the USAGE DISPLAY-1 clause.
When you use PICTURE symbol G, you
must specify USAGE DISPLAY-1. When you use PICTURE symbol N but
omit the USAGE clause, USAGE DISPLAY-1 or USAGE
NATIONAL is implied depending on the setting of the NSYMBOL compiler
option.
If you use a VALUE clause with the USAGE clause
in the definition of a DBCS item, you must specify
a DBCS literal or the figurative constant SPACE or SPACES.
If a data item has USAGE DISPLAY-1 (either
explicitly or implicitly), the selected locale must indicate a code
page that includes DBCS characters. If the code page of the locale
does not include DBCS characters, such data items are flagged as errors.
For the purpose of handling reference modifications, each character in a DBCS data item is considered to occupy the number of bytes that corresponds to the code-page width (that is, 2).