COBOL for OS/390 & VM. COBOL Set for AIX. VisualAge COBOL. Language Reference

Contents
About this book
	Compatibility with previous IBM COBOL products (OS/390 and VM only)
	IBM extensions
	Obsolete language elements
	How to read the syntax diagrams
	DBCS notation
	Acknowledgment
Summary of changes
	Fifth edition (September 2000)
	Fourth edition (November 1998)
	Third edition (August 1998, softcopy only)
	Second edition (April 1998)
Part 1.  COBOL language structure
	Characters
		Character-strings
			COBOL words with single-byte characters
			COBOL words with multi-byte characters
			User-defined words
			System-names
			Function-names
			Reserved words
		Figurative constants
		Special registers
			ADDRESS OF
			DEBUG-ITEM
			LENGTH OF
			LINAGE-COUNTER
			RETURN-CODE
			SHIFT-OUT and SHIFT-IN
			SORT-CONTROL
			SORT-CORE-SIZE
			SORT-FILE-SIZE
			SORT-MESSAGE
			SORT-MODE-SIZE
			SORT-RETURN
			TALLY
			WHEN-COMPILED
		Literals
			Nonnumeric literals
			Numeric literals
				Rules for floating-point literal values:
			DBCS literals
				When DBCS literals are allowed
				When DBCS literals are not allowed
			PICTURE character-strings
			Comments
		Separators
			Rules for separators
	Sections and paragraphs
		Statements and clauses
			Entries
			Clauses
			Sentences
			Statements
			Phrases
	Reference format
		Sequence number area
		Indicator area
		Area A
			Division header
			Section header
			Paragraph header or paragraph name
			Level indicator (FD and SD) or level-number (01 and 77)
			DECLARATIVES and END DECLARATIVES
			End Program, End Class, and End Method headers
		Area B
			Entries, sentences, statements, clauses
			Continuation lines
				Example
		Area A or Area B
			Level-numbers
			Comment lines
			Compiler-directing statements
			Compiler directives (workstation only)
			Debugging lines
			Pseudo-text
			Blank lines
	Scope of names
		Types of names
		External and internal resources
		Resolution of names
	Referencing data names, copy libraries, and Procedure Division names
		Uniqueness of reference
			Qualification
				Qualification rules
			Data attribute specification
			Identical names
			References to COPY libraries
			References to Procedure Division names
			References to Data Division names
				Simple data reference
				Identifier
			Condition-name
			Subscripting
				Subscripting using data-names
				Subscripting using index-names (indexing)
				Relative subscripting
			Reference modification
				Evaluation of operands
				Reference modification examples
			Function-identifier
	Transfer of control
	Millennium Language Extensions and date fields
		Millennium Language Extensions syntax
		Terms and concepts
			Date field
				Windowed date field
				Expanded date field
				Year-last date field
				Date format
				Compatible date field
			Non-date
			Century window
Part 2.  COBOL source unit structure
	COBOL program structure
		Nested programs
			Conventions for program-names
				Rules for program-names
	COBOL class definition structure
	COBOL method definition structure
Part 3.  Identification Division
	Identification Division
		PROGRAM-ID paragraph
		CLASS-ID paragraph
			General rules
			Inheritance
			Multiple inheritance
		METHOD-ID paragraph
			General rules
		Optional paragraphs
Part 4.  Environment Division
	Configuration Section
		SOURCE-COMPUTER paragraph
		OBJECT-COMPUTER paragraph
		SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph
		ALPHABET clause
		SYMBOLIC CHARACTERS clause
		CLASS clause
		CURRENCY SIGN clause
		REPOSITORY paragraph
			General rules
			Identifying and referencing the class
	Input-Output Section
		FILE-CONTROL paragraph
		SELECT clause
		ASSIGN clause
			OS/390 and VM syntax
				Assignment name for environment variable (OS/390)
			AIX and Windows syntax
				Assignment name for non-environment variables and literals (AIX and Windows)
				Assignment name for data-names and environment variables (AIX and Windows)
		RESERVE clause
		ORGANIZATION clause
			File organization
				Sequential organization
				Indexed organization
				Relative organization
				Line-sequential organization
				Language elements treated as comments (workstation only)
		PADDING CHARACTER clause
		RECORD DELIMITER clause
		ACCESS MODE clause
			File organization and access modes
			Access modes
			Relationship between data organizations and access modes
		RECORD KEY clause
		ALTERNATE RECORD KEY clause
		RELATIVE KEY clause
		PASSWORD clause
		FILE STATUS clause
		I-O-CONTROL paragraph
		RERUN clause
		SAME AREA clause
		SAME RECORD AREA clause
		SAME SORT AREA clause
		SAME SORT-MERGE AREA clause
		MULTIPLE FILE TAPE clause
		APPLY WRITE-ONLY clause
Part 5.  Data Division
	Data Division overview
		File Section
		Working-Storage Section
		Local-Storage Section
		Linkage Section
		Data types
			File data
			Program data
		Data relationships
			Levels of data
			Levels of data in a record description entry
			Special level-numbers
			Indentation
			Classes and categories of data
			Alignment rules
			Standard data format
			Character-string and item size
			Signed data
			Operational signs
			Editing signs
	Data Division—file description entries
		File Section
		EXTERNAL clause
		GLOBAL clause
		BLOCK CONTAINS clause
		RECORD clause
			Format 1
			Format 2
			Format 3
		LABEL RECORDS clause
		VALUE OF clause
		DATA RECORDS clause
		LINAGE clause
			LINAGE-COUNTER special register
		RECORDING MODE clause
			Under OS/390 and VM
			Under AIX and Windows
		CODE-SET clause
	Data Division—data description entry
		Format 1
		Format 2
		Format 3
		Level-numbers
		BLANK WHEN ZERO clause
		DATE FORMAT clause
			Semantics of windowed date fields
				Date trigger values (host only)
			Restrictions on using date fields
				Combining the DATE FORMAT clause with other clauses
				Group items that are date fields
				Language elements that treat date fields as non-dates
				Language elements that do not accept windowed date fields as arguments
				Language elements that do not accept date fields as arguments
		EXTERNAL clause
		GLOBAL clause
		JUSTIFIED clause
		OCCURS clause
			Fixed-length tables
			ASCENDING/DESCENDING KEY phrase
			INDEXED BY phrase
			Variable-length tables
			OCCURS DEPENDING ON clause
		PICTURE clause
			Symbols used in the PICTURE clause
				P symbol
				Currency symbol
			Character-string representation
			Data categories and PICTURE rules
				Alphabetic items
				Numeric items
				Numeric-edited items
				Alphanumeric items
				Alphanumeric-edited items
				DBCS items
				External floating-point items
			PICTURE clause editing
			Simple insertion editing
			Special insertion editing
			Fixed insertion editing
			Floating insertion editing
				Representing floating insertion editing
			Zero suppression and replacement editing
				Representing zero suppression
		REDEFINES clause
			REDEFINES clause considerations
			REDEFINES clause examples
			Undefined results
		RENAMES clause
		SIGN clause
		SYNCHRONIZED clause
			Slack bytes
			Slack bytes within records
			Slack bytes between records
		USAGE clause
			Computational items
			DISPLAY phrase
			DISPLAY-1 phrase
			INDEX phrase
			OBJECT REFERENCE phrase
			POINTER phrase
			PROCEDURE-POINTER phrase
			NATIVE phrase
		VALUE clause
			Format 1
				Rules for literal values:
			Format 2
				Rules for condition-name values:
			Format 3
Part 6.  Procedure Division
	Procedure Division structure
		Requirements for a method Procedure Division
		The Procedure Division header
		Declaratives
		Procedures
		Arithmetic expressions
			Arithmetic operators
			Arithmetic with date fields
				Addition involving date fields
				Subtraction involving date fields
				Storing arithmetic results that involve date fields
		Conditional expressions
			Simple conditions
			Class condition
			Condition-name condition
				Condition-name conditions and windowed date field comparisons
			Relation condition
				Date fields
				DBCS items
				Pointer data items
				Procedure-pointer data items
				Object reference data items
			Comparison of numeric and nonnumeric operands
				Comparing numeric operands
				Comparing nonnumeric operands
				Comparing numeric and nonnumeric operands
				Comparing index-names and index data items
				Comparison of DBCS operands
			Sign condition
				Date fields in sign conditions
			Switch-status condition
			Complex conditions
			Negated simple conditions
			Combined conditions
				Order of evaluation of conditions
				Order of evaluation:
			Abbreviated combined relation conditions
				Using parentheses
		Statement categories
			Imperative statements
			Conditional statements
			Delimited scope statements
			Explicit scope terminators
			Implicit scope terminators
			Compiler-directing statements
		Statement operations
			CORRESPONDING phrase
			GIVING phrase
			ROUNDED phrase
			SIZE ERROR phrases
			Arithmetic statements
			Arithmetic statement operands
				Size of operands
				Overlapping operands
				Multiple results
			Data manipulation statements
				Overlapping operands
			Input-output statements
			Common processing facilities
				Status key
				Invalid key condition
				INTO/FROM identifier phrase
				File position indicator
	Procedure Division statements
		ACCEPT statement
			Data transfer
			System information transfer
			DATE, DATE YYYYMMDD, DAY, DAY YYYYDDD, DAY-OF-WEEK, and TIME
		ADD statement
			ROUNDED phrase
			SIZE ERROR phrases
			CORRESPONDING phrase (format 3)
			END-ADD phrase
		ALTER statement
			Segmentation considerations
		CALL statement
			USING phrase
			BY REFERENCE phrase
			BY CONTENT phrase
			BY VALUE phrase
			RETURNING phrase
			ON EXCEPTION phrase
			NOT ON EXCEPTION phrase
			ON OVERFLOW phrase
			END-CALL phrase
		CANCEL statement
		CLOSE statement
			Effect of CLOSE statement on file types
		COMPUTE statement
			ROUNDED phrase
			SIZE ERROR phrases
			END-COMPUTE phrase
		CONTINUE statement
		DELETE statement
			Sequential access mode
			Random or dynamic access mode
			END-DELETE phrase
		DISPLAY statement
		DIVIDE statement
			ROUNDED phrase
			REMAINDER phrase
			SIZE ERROR phrases
			END-DIVIDE phrase
		ENTRY statement
			USING phrase
		EVALUATE statement
			END-EVALUATE phrase
			Determining values
			Comparing selection subjects and objects
			Executing the EVALUATE statement
		EXIT statement
		EXIT METHOD statement
		EXIT PROGRAM statement
		GOBACK statement
		GO TO statement
			Unconditional GO TO
			Conditional GO TO
			Altered GO TO
			MORE-LABELS GO TO
		IF statement
			END-IF phrase
			Transferring control
			Nested IF statements
		INITIALIZE statement
			REPLACING phrase
			INITIALIZE statement rules
		INSPECT statement
			Effect of DBCS
			TALLYING phrase (formats 1 and 3)
			REPLACING phrase (formats 2 and 3)
				Replacement rules
			BEFORE and AFTER phrases (all formats)
			CONVERTING phrase (format 4)
			Data types for identifiers and literals
			Data flow
				Comparison cycle
			Example of the INSPECT statement
		INVOKE statement
			USING phrase
			BY REFERENCE phrase
			BY CONTENT phrase
			BY VALUE phrase
			Conformance requirements for USING phrase
			RETURNING phrase
			ON EXCEPTION phrase
			NOT ON EXCEPTION phrase
			END-INVOKE phrase
			INVOKE parameter type conformance—example
		MERGE statement
			ASCENDING/DESCENDING KEY phrase
			COLLATING SEQUENCE phrase
			USING phrase
			GIVING phrase
			OUTPUT PROCEDURE phrase
			MERGE special registers
			Segmentation considerations
		MOVE statement
			Elementary moves
				Moves involving date fields
			Group moves
		MULTIPLY statement
			ROUNDED phrase
			SIZE ERROR phrases
			END-MULTIPLY phrase
		OPEN statement
			General rules
			Label records
			OPEN statement notes
		PERFORM statement
			Basic PERFORM statement
			END-PERFORM
			PERFORM with TIMES phrase
			PERFORM with UNTIL phrase
			PERFORM with VARYING phrase
			Varying identifiers
			Varying two identifiers
			Varying three identifiers
			Varying more than three identifiers
			Varying phrase rules
		READ statement
			KEY IS phrase
			AT END phrases
			INVALID KEY phrases
			END-READ phrase
			Multiple record processing
			Sequential access mode
				Sequential files
				Indexed or relative files
			Random access mode
				Indexed files
				Relative files
			Dynamic access mode
			READ statement notes
		RELEASE statement
		RETURN statement
			AT END phrases
			END-RETURN phrase
		REWRITE statement
			INVALID KEY phrases
			END-REWRITE phrase
			Reusing a logical record
			Sequential files
			Indexed files
			Relative files
		SEARCH statement
			AT END/WHEN phrases
			NEXT SENTENCE
			END-SEARCH phrase
			Serial search
			VARYING phrase
			WHEN phrase (serial search)
			Binary search
			WHEN phrase (binary search)
			Search statement considerations
		SET statement
			Format 1: SET for basic table handling
			Format 2: SET for adjusting indexes
			Format 3: SET for external switches
			Format 4: SET for condition-names
			Format 5: SET for USAGE IS POINTER data items
			Format 6: SET for USAGE IS PROCEDURE-POINTER data items
				Example of COBOL/C interoperability (OS/390)
			Format 7: SET for USAGE OBJECT REFERENCE data items
		SORT statement
			ASCENDING/DESCENDING KEY phrase
			DUPLICATES phrase
			COLLATING SEQUENCE phrase
			USING phrase
			INPUT PROCEDURE phrase
			GIVING phrase
			OUTPUT PROCEDURE phrase
			SORT special registers
			Segmentation considerations
		START statement
			KEY phrase
			INVALID KEY phrases
			END-START phrase
			Indexed files
			Relative files
		STOP statement
		STRING statement
			DELIMITED BY phrase
			INTO phrase
			POINTER phrase
			ON OVERFLOW phrases
			END-STRING phrase
			Data flow
		SUBTRACT statement
			ROUNDED phrase
			SIZE ERROR phrases
			CORRESPONDING phrase (format 3)
			END-SUBTRACT phrase
		UNSTRING statement
			DELIMITED BY phrase
				Delimiter with two or more characters
				Two or more delimiters
			INTO phrase
			POINTER phrase
			TALLYING IN phrase
			ON OVERFLOW phrases
				When an overflow condition occurs
				When an overflow condition does not occur
			END-UNSTRING phrase
			Data flow
				Values at the end of execution of the UNSTRING statement
			Example of the UNSTRING statement
		WRITE statement
			ADVANCING phrase
				ADVANCING phrase rules
				LINAGE-COUNTER rules
			END-OF-PAGE phrases
			INVALID KEY phrases
			END-WRITE phrase
			WRITE for sequential files
				Multivolume files
				Punch function files with the IBM 3525
				Print function files
				Advanced Function Printing
			WRITE for indexed files
			WRITE for relative files
Part 7.  Intrinsic functions
	Intrinsic functions
		Specifying a function
			Function definition and evaluation
			Types of functions
			Rules for usage
			Arguments
			ALL subscripting
		Function definitions
		ACOS
		ANNUITY
		ASIN
		ATAN
		CHAR
		COS
		CURRENT-DATE
		DATE-OF-INTEGER
		DATE-TO-YYYYMMDD
			Example
		DATEVAL
		DAY-OF-INTEGER
		DAY-TO-YYYYDDD
			Example
		FACTORIAL
		INTEGER
		INTEGER-OF-DATE
		INTEGER-OF-DAY
		INTEGER-PART
		LENGTH
		LOG
		LOG10
		LOWER-CASE
		MAX
		MEAN
		MEDIAN
		MIDRANGE
		MIN
		MOD
		NUMVAL
		NUMVAL-C
		ORD
		ORD-MAX
		ORD-MIN
		PRESENT-VALUE
		RANDOM
		RANGE
		REM
		REVERSE
		SIN
		SQRT
		STANDARD-DEVIATION
		SUM
		TAN
		UNDATE
		UPPER-CASE
		VARIANCE
		WHEN-COMPILED
		YEAR-TO-YYYY
			Example
		YEARWINDOW
Part 8.  Compiler-directing statements
	Compiler-directing statements
		BASIS statement
		CBL (PROCESS) statement
		*CONTROL (*CBL) statement
			Source code listing
			Object code listing
			Storage map listing
		COPY statement
			SUPPRESS phrase
			REPLACING phrase
			Replacement and comparison rules
		DELETE statement
		EJECT statement
		ENTER statement
		INSERT statement
		READY or RESET TRACE statement
		REPLACE statement
			Continuation rules for pseudo-text
			Comparison operation
			REPLACE statement notes
		SERVICE LABEL statement
		SERVICE RELOAD statement
		SKIP1/2/3 statements
		TITLE statement
		USE statement
			EXCEPTION/ERROR declarative
			Precedence rules for nested programs
			LABEL declarative
			DEBUGGING declarative
	Compiler directives
		CALLINTERFACE
			Syntax and general rules
			Difference between the directive and compiler option
				Precedence of sub-options
Part 9.  Appendixes
	Appendix A.  Compiler limits
	Appendix B.  EBCDIC and ASCII collating sequences
		EBCDIC collating sequence
		US English ASCII code page (ISO 646)
	Appendix C.  Source language debugging
		Coding debugging lines
		Coding debugging sections
		DEBUG-ITEM special register
		Activate compile-time switch
		Activate object-time switch
	Appendix D.  Reserved words
	Appendix E.  ASCII considerations for OS/390 and VM
		Environment Division
			OBJECT-COMPUTER and SPECIAL-NAMES paragraphs
			FILE-CONTROL paragraph
			I-O-CONTROL paragraph
		Data Division
			FD Entry—CODE-SET clause
			Data description entries
		Procedure Division
	Appendix F.  Locale considerations (workstation only)
	Appendix G.  Summary of language difference: host COBOL and workstation COBOL
	Appendix H.  Industry specifications
	Notices
		Programming interface information
		Trademarks
	Bibliography
		IBM COBOL for OS/390 & VM
		IBM COBOL Set for AIX
		IBM VisualAge COBOL
		Softcopy publications for IBM COBOL
	Glossary
	Index