Manipulating null-terminated strings

For example, you can:

• Use null-terminated literal constants (Z". . . ").
• Use an INSPECT statement to count the number of characters in a null-terminated string:

  
  MOVE 0 TO char-count
  INSPECT source-field TALLYING char-count
                       FOR CHARACTERS
                       BEFORE X"00"
  

• Use an UNSTRING statement to move characters in a null-terminated string to a target field, and get the character count:

  
  WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
  01  source-field          PIC X(1001).
  01  char-count     COMP-5 PIC 9(4).
  01  target-area.
      02 individual-char OCCURS 1 TO 1000 TIMES DEPENDING ON char-count
                            PIC X.
  . . .
  PROCEDURE DIVISION.
      UNSTRING source-field DELIMITED BY X"00"
                            INTO target-area
                            COUNT IN char-count
        ON OVERFLOW
          DISPLAY "source not null terminated or target too short"
      END-UNSTRING
  

• Use a SEARCH statement to locate trailing null or space characters. Define the string being examined as a table of single characters.
• Check each character in a field in a loop (PERFORM). You can examine each character in a field by using a reference modifier such as source-field (I:1).

Example: null-terminated strings