The pointer data item is used to reference data based on a specific memory address. In this case, the data attribute and offset is defined using a based-storage section.
The pointer data item is often used in cases where an address is used as an interface such as when calling a C program.
000010 @OPTIONS MAIN 000020*---------------------------------------------------------------------- 000030* The pointer enables data to be referenced using a memory address. 000040*---------------------------------------------------------------------- 000050 IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. 000060 PROGRAM-ID. SAMPLE. 000070 DATA DIVISION. 000080*---------------------------------------------------------------------- 000090* An item that is to be references using a pointer reference is 000095* declared in based-storage section. 000100*---------------------------------------------------------------------- 000110 BASED-STORAGE SECTION. 000120 01 TYPE-DATE. 000130 02 PIC X(8). 000140 02 CR-HOUR PIC 9(2). 000150 02 CR-MINUTE PIC 9(2). 000160 02 CR-SEC PIC 9(2). 000170*---------------------------------------------------------------------- 000180 WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 000190 01 CR-DATE PIC X(21). 000200 01 PTR POINTER. 000210 PROCEDURE DIVISION. 000220 MOVE FUNCTION CURRENT-DATE TO CR-DATE. 000230*---------------------------------------------------------------------- 000240* The starting address of the actual data item is set in the pointer 000245* item and the data is pointed to and referenced using a pointer 000250* reference. 000260*---------------------------------------------------------------------- 000270 MOVE FUNCTION ADDR (CR-DATE) TO PTR. 000280 DISPLAY "The current time is " PTR->CR-HOUR " hours, " 000290 PTR->CR-MINUTE " minutes, " 000300 PTR->CR-SEC " seconds." 000310*---------------------------------------------------------------------- 000320 END PROGRAM SAMPLE.
