At 02:44 PM 10/14/97 -0400, you wrote:
>>Cynthia Redick ([log in to unmask]) wrote:
>>: We are looking for a "C" language routine that would format a c data ty=
>>: pe in
>>: such a way that it could be used to update a cobol comp-3 field, or an =
>>: image
>>: P(x) field.  Thanks in advance!
>>
>
And Bary kindly supplied a lot of C code (snipped)
 and I repeat my ealier (private) reply to Cynthia:
Why not a COBOL routine?

LINKAGE SECTION

 01  C-PARM         PIC S9(9) COMP.       ;Putatively an integer
 01  COBOL-PARM     PIC S9(9) COMP-3.     ;A packed variable

PROCEDURE DIVISION


<stuff>

 MOVE  C-PARM TO COBOL-PARM.

My point being that this is EXACTLY what COBOL does best, and a perfect
example of using the right tool for the right purpose! Obviously this
doesn't work with structs etc, but then I hope you wouldn't expect it to.
For fundamental data types (int, bool, etc) COBOL is the easiest way to
manage data type conversions.

Tony
Semper COBOL!