BabyCobol: SUBTRACT

Format

Remarks

• subtracts the sum of all first arguments from each of the second arguments and overwrites the old value of each second argument, unless the third argument specifies a different storage place
• so, for example, SUBTRACT 1 FROM X Y Z will decrement the values of X, Y and Z
• all three arguments obey the rules of sufficient qualification
• the first argument can be a literal
• if the second argument is a literal, the third argument is mandatory
• if the third argument is present, there can be only one second argument
• any of the three arguments can be an identifier defined with a numeric picture clause (free from A and X)
• if the first argument denotes a composite field, then the second argument should also denote a composite field, and the subtraction works correspondingly: for instance, if the first argument is a field X with inner numeric fields A, B and C, and the second argument is a field Y with inner numeric fields A, C and D, then A OF Y is decreased by A OF X and C OF Y is decreased by C OF X, and all other fields remain unchanged
• if all three arguments are composite fields, combine the description above with a MOVE to the target location
• if some arguments are composite fields while others are not, this statement is invalid

Origins

BabyCobol is a project by Dr. Vadim Zaytsev a.k.a. @grammarware. Page last updated in May 2025.