id	summary	reporter	owner	description	type	status	priority	milestone	component	version	resolution	keywords	cc
426	PL/I I/O describes but does not implement the column(e) option	Gary Dixon	Eric Swenson	"AM83 Multics PL/I Reference Manual, pg 14-40 describes a control format option for use in print stream output:  column(c)  


{{{
'column' FORMAT ITEM

The 'column' format item has the forms:

     column(e)
     col(e)

Let n be the value of the expression e for a given execution; then the item
advances the stream pointer to the next character position that is in column n;
that is, to a character position that is the nth character position of a line.
This interpretation implies that if the stream pointer is beyond the nth column,
the operation is applied to the next line. If n exceeds the length of the line
(so the specified character position does not exist), the stream pointer is set
to the beginning of the next line.
}}}

Unfortunately, this column format option does not seem to be implemented.  Here is a program example which tries to use this option.


{{{
foo:      procedure;

  dcl (item1, item2) char(10);
  dcl  sysprint file external;

          item1 = ""1st value"";
          item2 = ""2nd value"";

          put skip(5) column(10) list(item1, item2);
          put skip;

          end foo;
}}}

The compiler issues the following two error statements.

{{{
PL/1 33f

ERROR 288, SEVERITY 3 ON LINE 9
Unrecognizable option or attribute ""column"" in an I/O statement. It has
been ignored.
SOURCE:   put skip(5) column(10) list(item1, item2);

ERROR 1, SEVERITY 3 ON LINE 9
A syntax error has been found in this statement. Processing of the
statement has been terminated.
pl1: An error of severity 3 has occurred.
pl1: Translation failed. foo.pl1

}}}

This indicates two actual problems.  

 - The column option is diagnosed as an unknown option, even though it is documented in AM83.
 - The compiler rejects the otherwise proper put statement, even though it says it is ignoring the unknown option.

Removing the column option allows the program to compile and execute correctly.


{{{
foo:      procedure;

  dcl (item1, item2) char(10);
  dcl  sysprint file external;

          item1 = ""1st value"";
          item2 = ""2nd value"";

          put skip(5) list(item1, item2);
          put skip;

          end foo;



r 15:50 0.059 4

pl1 foo -ot
PL/1 33f
r 15:50 0.102 15

foo





1st value           2nd value  
r 15:50 0.023 0
}}}

"	defect	new	major		General	MR12.6e