What is Zone decimal representation?

Zoned-decimal format means that each byte of storage can contain one digit or one character. In the zoned-decimal format, each byte of storage is divided into two portions: a 4-bit zone portion and a 4-bit digit portion.

How do you convert a decimal to a zoned decimal?

SORT: How to convert packed decimal to zoned decimal (PD to ZD)

1. You can use DFSORT’s INREC, OUTREC or OUTFIL OUTREC statements to do this kind of conversion.
2. OPTION COPY.
3. You can use the LENGTH parameter to specify the length you want DFSORT to use for the ZD field.
4. OPTION COPY.

What is zoned decimal and packed decimal?

specifies a method of encoding decimal numbers by using each byte to represent two decimal digits. Packed decimal representation stores decimal data with exact precision. Zoned decimal data produces a printable representation. Nibble. specifies 1/2 of a byte.

How does it differ from a zoned decimal format?

Zone decimal uses an entire byte for each digit. This means you can just print a number as if it was text (each ‘character’ stores a digit 0-9) but since there are only 10 digits and a byte can hold 256 different values this is a bit wasteful. Packed decimal uses the fact that 4bits can store 16different values.

How is a zoned decimal data representation used?

The following applies to zoned decimal data representation: A zoned decimal representation stores a decimal digit in the low order nibble of each byte. For all but the byte containing the sign, the high-order nibble is the numeric zone nibble (F on EBCDIC and 3 on ASCII).

What’s the difference between zoned decimal and nibble decimal?

Zoned decimal specifies a method of encoding decimal numbers in which each digit requires one byte of storage. The last byte contains the number’s sign as well as the last digit. Zoned decimal data produces a printable representation. Nibble specifies 1/2 of a byte.

Where is the sign stored in a zoned decimal?

If a zoned decimal is Signed and the SIGN clause is not specified (nor the NUMERIC SIGN special-names clause is specified), then the sign is stored in the second part of the last byte together with the last digit, using “C” for postive values or “D” for negative values. This behaviour can be changed by adding the SIGN clause, ie:

Which is the least significant zone in a signed decimal?

For signed zoned decimal values, the rightmost (least significant) zone nibble holds the sign digit, which is the same set of values that are used for signed packed decimal numbers (see above).