Brad wrote:

> I'm trying to use the clock intrinsic (in Cobol) to generate a number
> that I can use for unique file names but I can't figure out what the
> clock intrinsic is giving me. The intrinsics manual says I should get
> Hour, Minute, Seconds and Tenths of seconds.

The problem here is not what the CLOCK intrinsic is returning, but the
accessibility of bit-maps to COBOL.  The CLOCK intrinsic returns a
bit-mapped timestamp.  Unfortunately, it is not easily accessible in
COBOL.

Personally, I would prefer to use the variables returned from the
"CURRENT-DATE" function under COBOL '85 ($CONTROL POST85 option), but if
you really need to do this under COBOL '74 try the following code...

In working storage, add the following fields:
   15.41   01  WS-CLOCK-RET.
   15.42       05  WS-CLOCK-NUM        PIC S9(9) COMP VALUE ZERO.
   15.43   01  WS-CLOCK-DSPLY          PIC -9(9).
   15.44   01  WS-HOUR.
   15.45       05  FILLER              PIC X         VALUE LOW-VALUES.
   15.46       05  FILLER              PIC X.
   15.47   01  FILLER REDEFINES WS-HOUR.
   15.5        05  WS-HOUR-9           PIC S9(4) COMP.
   15.55   01  WS-MIN.
   15.6        05  FILLER              PIC X         VALUE LOW-VALUES.
   15.65       05  FILLER              PIC X.
   15.7    01  FILLER REDEFINES WS-MIN.
   15.75       05  WS-MIN-9            PIC S9(4) COMP.
   15.8    01  WS-SEC.
   15.85       05  FILLER              PIC X         VALUE LOW-VALUES.
   15.9        05  FILLER              PIC X.
   15.95   01  FILLER REDEFINES WS-SEC.
   16          05  WS-SEC-9            PIC S9(4) COMP.
   16.001
   16.002  01  WS-T-FILENAME.
   16.003      05  FILLER              PIC X(01)     VALUE "F".
   16.004      05  WS-T-HOUR           PIC 99.
   16.005      05  WS-T-MIN            PIC 99.
   16.006      05  WS-T-SEC            PIC 99.
   16.05

In the procedure division, add...

   24          CALL INTRINSIC "CLOCK" GIVING WS-CLOCK-NUM.
   24.1        MOVE WS-CLOCK-NUM TO WS-CLOCK-DSPLY.
   24.2        MOVE WS-CLOCK-RET(1:1) TO WS-HOUR(2:1).
   24.3        MOVE WS-CLOCK-RET(2:1) TO WS-MIN(2:1).
   24.4        MOVE WS-CLOCK-RET(3:1) TO WS-SEC(2:1).
   24.5        DISPLAY "Current time: " WS-HOUR-9
                                    ":" WS-MIN-9
                                    ":" WS-SEC-9.
   24.6        MOVE WS-HOUR-9         TO WS-T-HOUR.
   24.7        MOVE WS-MIN-9          TO WS-T-MIN.
   24.8        MOVE WS-SEC-9          TO WS-T-SEC.
   24.9        DISPLAY "Generated file name: " WS-T-FILENAME.
   25

Results:

     BOI4C:RUN TSTDATEP.MMSPRG

     Current date: MON, JAN 18, 1999,  1:39 PM
     Current time: +0013:+0039:+0044
     Generated file name: F133944
     Conversion option?    >> //

     END OF PROGRAM
     BOI4C:

Glenn

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