INIT
The INIT command initializes (sets to null values) and displays all fields of the current record.
Use the INIT command without a parameter to initialize (set to null values) and display all fields of the current record, according to the currently selected record layout.
The command is available in the Edit function in Formatted mode.
record-layout
Specifies the record layout with which you want File-AID to initialize and display the current record.
Do not specify the record-layout parameter while a segmented record is being edited, unless the base (first) segment is being displayed. If the base segment is displayed, the record is initialized to contain a single segment of the specified type and any other segments are eliminated from the record.
Specifying the record-layout parameter while a segment other than the base segment is displayed produces the error message CANNOT USE NAME and prevents initialization.
Guidelines
COBOL data formats are initialized as shown in the following table. PL/I data formats are initialized as shown in PL/I Data Format Initialization.
All data in the record is changed to initial values. Use REBUILD or UNDO to return the original data values to the record. Use INPUT to insert a new record initialized to null values. Use REPEAT to create a new record containing the current data record’s values.
COBOL Data Format Initialization
Format | Initialization |
|---|---|
NUM | Character zeros(X’F0’) |
SNUM | Character zeros with a positive sign byte(X’F0.…C0’) |
AN | Blank characters(X’40’) |
BI/BIS | Binary zeros(X’00’) |
SPFP/DPFP | Binary zeros(X’00’) |
PS | Packed signed zero(X’00…0C’) |
P | Packed unsigned zero(X’00…0F’) |
BI/BIS | Binary zeros(X’00’) |
UT8B/UT8C | Unicode UTF-8 blank characters (X’20’) |
UT16 | Unicode UTF-16 blank characters (X’0020’) |
UNUM | Unicode UTF-16 character zeros (X’0030’) and sign (X’002B’) if any. |
PL/I Data Format Initialization
Format | Initialization |
|---|---|
AREA | Binary zeros(X’00’) |
BFL/BFX | Binary zeros(X’00’) |
BIT | Binary zeros(X’00’) |
CHAR | Blank characters(X’40’) |
DFL | Binary zeros(X’00’) |
DFX | Packed signed zero(X’00…0C’) |
GRAPHIC | Blank zeros(X’00’) |
OFST | Binary zeros(X’00’) |
PFL/PFLU/PFXU | Zero numeric value, valid picture |
PTR | Binary zeros(X’00’) |
UCHAR | Unicode UTF-8 blank characters (X’20’) |
VBIT | Zero length, binary zero bits |
VCHR | Zero length, character blanks |
A record can be self-defining, that is, it can contain one or more OCCURS DEPENDING ON (COBOL) or REFER (PL/I) clauses that refer to data items within the same record layout.
Data formats are initialized to the following values:
- Self-defining records are initialized to the smallest value consistent with record definition.
- All other data items used to define the size of another object are initialized to 1 (one).
- Data items used solely to define a string length are initialized to 0 (zero).