Decimal positions for printer files (positions 36 and 37)

Use these positions to specify the decimal placement within a zoned decimal field and the data type of the field as it appears in your program.

If you leave these positions blank, the i5/OS™ operating system assumes a data type of character for the field.

If you enter a number in these positions, the i5/OS operating system assumes a data type of zoned decimal for the field. The number specified is the number of positions to the right of the decimal point; it must be less than or equal to the field length, with a maximum of 63. Figure 1 shows how to code decimal positions.

If you use a referenced field, you do not need to specify decimal positions because the information is retrieved from the referenced file. You can override or change the decimal positions retrieved if you choose.

To override the decimal positions, specify the new value. To change the decimal positions, specify the amount by which you want to increase or decrease the field and precede the amount with either a + or -. For example, an entry of +4 indicates that there are 4 more digits to the right of the decimal point than in the referenced field.

Note: High-level languages can impose specific length and value restrictions on the decimal positions. Observe these restrictions for files used by those languages.