PL/I data type support

When you define an execution object model (XOM) from a PL/I include file, you must know which PL/I data types are supported.

The following tables show which PL/I data types and attributes are supported.

Arithmetic type

Table 1. Support status of PL/I arithmetic data type
Data type	Supported	Example	Further information
Coded arithmetic	Yes	`float dec(9);` `fixed bin(31);`	The following attributes are supported: FIXED \| BINARY BINARY \| DECIMAL PRECISION SIGNED \| UNSIGNED
Picture numeric	Yes	`picture 's9v9'`	Picture symbols S, 9, and V are supported. Editing symbols such as currency symbols ($), zero suppression (z, *), and exponent characters (K, E) are not supported.
COMPLEX	No	`38+27I`

String type

Table 2. Support status of PL/I string data type
Data type		Supported	Example	Further information
Fixed-length string	PICTURE	Yes	`picture 'AXX(2)9'`	Picture symbols X, A, and 9 are supported.
	BIT	Yes	`BIT(32)`	The string length must be restricted by using the expression (const value) Supported attributes: VARYING \| VARYINGZ \| NONVARYING The BIT character with the REFER option is not supported.
	CHARACTER	Yes	`char(20)`	The string length must be restricted by using the expression (const value) Supported attributes: VARYING \| VARYINGZ \| NONVARYING
	WIDECHAR	Yes	`wchar(20)`
	GRAPHIC	Yes	`G(20)`
Variable length string	variable length string without REFER option	No	`char(m)`	Supported attributes: VARYING \| VARYINGZ \| NONVARYING Only the simple REFER usage is supported. Variable length strings in the BIT data type is not supported.
Variable length string	variable length string with REFER option	Yes	`char(m refer(n))`
Date	date	No	`picture char(8) date('YYYYMMDD')`	You can use the data converter to map a PL/I data item to the Java™ Date type. For more information, see Mapping PL/I data items to boolean and date types.

Array type

Table 3. Support status of PL/I array data type
Data type		Supported	Example	Further information
Fixed-length array	DIMENSION DIMACROSS	Yes	`messages(5) char(20);`
Variable length array	REFER option	Yes	`messages(m refer(n)) char(20)`	Only the simple REFER usage is supported.
Variable length array	NO-REFER option	No	`messages(m) char(20)`

User-defined type

Table 4. Support status of PL/I user-defined data type
Data type	Supported	Example	Further information
Alias	No	`define alias Name char(31) varying;`
Structure	No	`define structure 1 Borrower, 2 address union, 3 home char(20), 3 office char(30);`
Ordinal	Yes	`define ordinal Color (LOW value(3), MEDIUM value(6), HIGH value(8));`	The ORDINAL type is mapped to a Java numeric Object; for example, Byte, Short, Integer, Long, and BigInteger. The ordered values of the ORDINAL attribute are ignored.
Union	Yes	`define 1 Borrower, 2 address union, 3 home char(20), 3 office char(30);`
Like	Yes	`declare 1 coBorrower like Borrower;`

Program-control data

Table 5. Support status of PL/I program-control data
Data type		Supported
File	FILE	No
Area	AREA	No
Locator	POINTER	No
	OFFSET	No
	HANDLE	No

Other data attributes

Table 6. Support status of other PL/I data attributes
Data attributes	Supported	Further information
STATIC	Yes
AUTOMATIC	Yes
BASED	Yes
CONTROLLED	No
ALIGNED	Yes
UNALIGNED	Yes
ASSIGNABLE	Yes
UNASSIGNABLE	No
EXTERNAL	Yes
INTERNAL	Yes
LITTLEENDIAN	No
BIGENDIAN	Yes
HEXADEC	Yes
IEEE	Yes
DEFINED \| POSITION	No
VALUE	Yes
INITIAL	Yes	The PL/I importer ignores this attribute.
NORMAL \| ABNORMAL	Yes	The PL/I importer ignores this attribute.
XMLATTR \| XMLOMIT	Yes	The PL/I importer ignores this attribute.