ABSVAL (Absolute Value) keyword for physical and logical files

You can use this key-field level keyword to direct the operating system to ignore the sign of the field when the system sequences the values associated with this numeric field.

This keyword has no parameters.

The following example shows six records with a zoned decimal key field:

Record	Numeric key field (zoned decimal)	Hexadecimal representation
1	98	F9F8
2	00	F0F0
3	98-	F9D8
4	97	F9F7
5	20	F2F0
6	99	F9F9

If you do not specify any sequencing keywords or the ALTSEQ keyword, the default sequencing for the key field is the SIGNED attribute. In this case, the records are sequenced in the following order:

Record	Numeric key field (zoned decimal)	Hexadecimal representation
3	98-	F9D8
2	00	F0F0
5	20	F2F0
4	97	F9F7
1	98	F9F8
6	99	F9F9

If you specify the ABSVAL keyword, the absolute value of the negative field is used, and the resulting sequence is:

Record	Numeric key field (zoned decimal)	Hexadecimal representation
2	00	F0D0
5	20	F2F0
4	97	F9F7
1	98	F9F8
3	98-	F9D8
6	99	F9F9

The ABSVAL keyword is not valid for a character, date, time, timestamp, and hexadecimal data type field. You cannot use this keyword with the DIGIT, SIGNED, UNSIGNED, or ZONE keywords.

ABSVAL (a key field-level keyword) causes ALTSEQ (a file-level keyword) to be ignored. If you specify ABSVAL for a key field, NOALTSEQ is in effect for that key field, even if ALTSEQ was specified at the file level. This occurs, even if the NOALTSEQ keyword is specified.

Example

The following example shows how to specify the ABSVAL keyword.

|...+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4....+....5....+....6....+....7....+....8
00010A            ORDAMT         5  0
00020A          K ORDAMT                    ABSVAL
     A