Binary string comparisons
Binary string comparisons are always performed according to the binary values.
Two binary strings are equal only if the lengths of the two strings
are identical. If the strings are equal up to the length of the shorter
string length, the shorter string is considered less than the longer
string even when the remaining bytes in the longer string are hexadecimal
zeros. This is illustrated in the following table:
Binary strings cannot be compared to character strings (even
FOR BIT DATA) unless the character string is cast to a binary string.
| Hexadecimal value of the first operand | relationship | Hexadecimal value of the second operand |
|---|---|---|
| X'4100' | < | X'410000' |
| X'4100' | < | X'42' |
| X'4100' | = | X'4100' |
| X'4100' | > | X'41' |
| X'4100' | > | X'400000' |