What is the picture clause of Null indicator variable?

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S9(4)COMP is the picture clause of a null indicator variable.

In IBM DB2, the Null Indicator variable is commonly associated with host variables in programming languages like COBOL when working with SQL. The Null Indicator variable is used to indicate whether a column in a result set contains a NULL value.

In COBOL, the PICTURE clause is used to define the format of a data item. The correct PICTURE clause for a Null Indicator variable in COBOL when working with DB2 is typically:

PIC S9(4) COMP-5.

This PICTURE clause indicates a signed binary halfword (S9), with a total of 4 digits (9(4)), and COMP-5 is a COBOL usage clause for binary data. The Null Indicator variable is usually a two-byte binary field, and this PICTURE clause is commonly used to represent it.

Here’s a breakdown:

  • S9: Signed numeric.
  • (4): Four digits.
  • COMP-5: Binary storage format.

Keep in mind that specific requirements may vary based on your application and programming environment, so it’s always a good idea to consult the documentation or guidelines provided by IBM or your programming language when working with DB2 databases.