GnuCOBOL / Bugs / #1159 Negative values for LINE and COLUMN

A free COBOL compiler

#1159 Negative values for LINE and COLUMN

Milestone: GC 3.2

Status: open

Owner: nobody

Labels: None

Priority: 5 - default

Updated: 2025-11-07

Created: 2025-11-02

Creator: Eugenio Di Lorenzo

Private: No

For both ACCEPT and DISPLAY, the compiler accepts negative values for the LINE and COLUMN options.
The compiler should report as an error that only positive, non-zero values are allowed.
But now no errors are reported and when running an ACCEPT field, the behavior is strange: the field can be typed for an indefinite length.

Sample program:

        >>SOURCE FREE
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. TESTACCEPT99.
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 wTEXT PIC x(10) value 'abc'.
01 wNUM PIC 999 value zero.
01 wRuler pic x(80) value '....+....1....+....2....+....3....+....4'.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
    display wRULER at 0901
    DISPLAY 'text ...: ' AT LINE -10 COL 10    
    ACCEPT wTEXT AT LINE -2 COLUMN -40 with prompt '_'
    DISPLAY 'num ....: ' AT 1110     
    ACCEPT wNUM  AT LINE 11 COLUMN -10 with prompt '_'
    STOP RUN.

Discussion

Description has changed:

Diff:

--- old
+++ new
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-For both `ACCEPT` and `DISPLAY,` the compiler accepts negative values for the `LINE` and `COLUMN` options. No errors are reported.
-When running `ACCEPT`, the behavior is strange: the field can be typed for an indefinite length.
+For both `ACCEPT` and `DISPLAY,` the compiler accepts negative values for the `LINE` and `COLUMN` options. 
+The compiler should report as an error that only positive, non-zero values  are allowed.
+But now no errors are reported and when running an `ACCEPT field `, the behavior is strange: the field can be typed for an indefinite length.

 Sample program:
 ~~~

Negative values for LINE and COLUMN

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#1159 Negative values for LINE and COLUMN

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Negative values ​​for LINE and COLUMN

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#1159 Negative values ​​for LINE and COLUMN

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Negative values for LINE and COLUMN

#1159 Negative values for LINE and COLUMN