The '}' is the overpunch character for the zero character. This is
used to signify signed data while not taking up a character for the
sign. I believe there is an HP3000 manual on converting data types
that explains all of this.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John Park                                     'Everything works,
Corvallis, Oregon                                if you let it.'
[log in to unmask]                                      -Meatloaf

----------
> From: Michael Anderson <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: "C" calling a COBOL subroutine ?
> Date: Wednesday, June 11, 1997 8:07 PM
>
> I have a COBOL subroutine that, I wrote about seven or eight years
ago.
> It's LINKAGE is:
>
> Abrv Example:
>
> 01 LINIKAGE-AREA.
>    02 DATA-ITEM-1  PIC X(20).
>    02 DATA-ITEM-2  PIC X(80).
>    02 DATA-ITEM-3  PIC S9(4) COMP.
>    02 DATA-ITEM-4  PIC XX.
>
>
> OK, I haven't been able to look at the "C" code, and I don't know
"C"
> very well, YET! The "C" prog'r doesn't know the "HP" very well, so
he
> asked me the following question:
>
> ******
> You passed me all the data correctly, I got Item-1, Item-2, and
Item-4
> exactly the way I expected to get'em, but Item-3 came to me like
this
> "000}" --- Why do ya think that is?
> ******
>
> As you probably guessed, ITEM-3 has a value of zero. I'm not sure
what
> happened to it when the "C" program received it. SO I thought maybe
> someone the knows and understands MPE/iX, COBOL/iX, and C/iX using
the
> C89 POSIX interface for compiling would be able to help me out here
so I
> can tell the "C" guy what to change, if anything a tall.
>
> Thanks In Advance,
>
> Michael Anderson