Intrinsic Functions
Intrinsic functions are temporary data item whose value is determined at the time the function is referenced during the execution of a statement.
The table below shows all available intrinsic functions.
The Function name column defines the name of the function.
The Function type column defines the type of the function, it can be: Integer, Numeric, Alphabetic, Alphanumeric. When "any" word appears it means that the type of the function depends on the argument type.
The Argument number column defines the number of the arguments. When "arbitrary" word appears it means that the number or arguments is undefined and it can be arbitrary. When 0 appears, it means that the function doesn't has arguments.
The Argument type column defines the type of the arguments, they can be: Integer, Numeric, Alphabetic, Alphanumeric. When "any" appears it means that the type of the argument can be any of theme.
A detailed documentation of each single function follows.
Function name | Function type | Argument number | Argument type | Description |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Absolute value of the argument passed | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Arccosine of argument | |
Numeric | 2 | Numeric | Annuity of the arguments | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Arcsine of argument | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Arctangent of argument | |
Numeric | 1 | Alphanumeric | Decimal representation of binary data | |
Numeric | 1 | any | Length of argument in number of bytes | |
Numeric | 1 | Occurs | Current capacity of a dynamic capacity table | |
Alphanumeric | 1 | Integer | Character in position of argument | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Cosine of argument | |
Alphanumeric | 0 | Current date and time and difference from Greenwich Mean Time | ||
Integer | 1 | Integer | Standard date equivalent (YYYYMMDD) of integer date | |
Integer | 2 | Integer | Date with four digits year of a date with two digits year. The second optional parameter is the threshold (default 50) | |
Integer | 1 | Integer | Julian date equivalent (YYYYDDD) of integer date | |
Integer | 2 | Integer | Date with four digits year of a date with two digits year. in the format YYddd The second optional parameter is the threshold (default 50) | |
Alphanumeric | 1 | Numeric | Binary representation of decimal data | |
Alphanumeric | 1 | Numeric | Hexadecimal representation of decimal data | |
Alphanumeric | 1 | Numeric | Octal representation of decimal data | |
Alphanumeric | 2 | National | Character representation of a national value | |
Numeric | 0 | The value of E, the natural base | ||
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | E raised to the power of argument | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | E raised to the power of argument | |
Integer | 1 | Integer | Factorial of argument | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Fraction part of argument | |
Integer | 1 | Integer | resource identified by the handle | |
Numeric | 1 | Alphanumeric | Decimal representation of hexadecimal data | |
Integer | 1 | Numeric | The greatest integer not greater than argument | |
Integer | 1 | Integer | Integer date equivalent of standard date (YYYYMMDD) | |
Integer | 1 | Integer | Integer date equivalent of Julian date (YYYYDDD) | |
Integer | 1 | Numeric | Integer part of argument | |
Integer | 1 | any | Length of argument | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Natural logarithm of argument | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Logarithm to base 10 of argument | |
Alphanumeric | 1 | Alphanumeric | All letters in the argument are set to lowercase | |
any | arbitrary | any | Value of maximum argument | |
Numeric | arbitrary | Numeric | Arithmetic mean of arguments | |
Numeric | arbitrary | Numeric | Median of arguments | |
Numeric | arbitrary | Numeric | Mean of minimum and maximum arguments | |
any | arbitrary | any | Value of minimum argument | |
Integer | 2 | Integer | argument 1 modulo argument 2 | |
National | 2 | Alphanumeric | National representation of a character string | |
Numeric | 1 | Alphanumeric | Numeric value of simple numeric string | |
Numeric | 2 | Alphanumeric | Numeric value of numeric string with optional commas and currency sign | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Decimal representation of octal data | |
Integer | 1 | Alphanumeric | Ordinal position of the argument in collating sequence | |
Integer | 1 | any | Ordinal position of maximum argument | |
Integer | 1 | any | Ordinal position of minimum argument | |
Numeric | 0 | Value of pi | ||
Numeric | 2 | Numeric | Present value of a series of future period-end amounts, argument 2 at a discount rate of argument 1 | |
Numeric | 1 | Integer | Random number between 0 and 1 | |
Numeric | arbitrary | Numeric | Value of maximum argument minus value of minimum argument | |
Numeric | 2 | Numeric | Remainder of arg 1 / arg 2 | |
Alphanumeric | 1 | Alphanumeric | Reverse order of the characters of the argument | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | 1 if argument is positive 0 if argument is zero -1 if argument is negative | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Sine of argument | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Square root of argument | |
Numeric | arbitrary | Numeric | Standard deviation of arguments | |
Numeric | arbitrary | Numeric | Sum of arguments | |
Numeric | 1 | Numeric | Tangent of argument | |
Alphanumeric | 1 | Alphanumeric | The argument is trimmed | |
Alphanumeric | 1 | Alphanumeric | The argument is left trimmed | |
Alphanumeric | 1 | Alphanumeric | The argument is right trimmed | |
Alphanumeric | 1 | Alphanumeric | All letters in the argument are set to uppercase | |
Numeric | arbitrary | Numeric | Variance of argument | |
Alphanumeric | 0 | Date and time program was compiled | ||
Numeric | 2 | Numeric | Four digits year of the first argument, the second optional parameter is the threshold (default 50) |
Sample programs for each function are available between isCOBOL Samples.
