Accessing an environment variable

You can access an environment variable using the ACCEPT or DISPLAY statements.
The names of environment variables are defined using format 4 in the DISPLAY statement. Format 5 of the ACCEPT statement is required in order to access the contents of environment variables.
At system level, the environment variables must be set up using an SDF-P variable.

Example 8-5

Accessing an environment variable

/SET-VAR TSTENV='AAAA BBB CC D'
/START-PROGRAM ...
Program excerpt:
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
...
SPECIAL-NAMES.
    ENVIRONMENT-NAME IS ENV-NAME
    ENVIRONMENT-VALUE IS ENV-VAR
    TERMINAL IS T
...
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  A   PIC X(15).
...
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
...
    DISPLAY "TSTENV" UPON ENV-NAME
    ACCEPT A FROM ENV-VAR
      ON EXCEPTION DISPLAY "ENVIRONMENT 'TSTENV' IS UNKNOWN!" UPON T
                   END-DISPLAY
      NOT ON EXCEPTION DISPLAY "VALUE IS:" A UPON T
                       END-DISPLAY
    END-ACCEPT

The exception condition appears with every failed access. Causes of a failed access can be, for example:

• missing SET-VAR command

• content of the variable is longer than the receiving field