Designed for: Programmers

Primary Objective: To interpret, modify, and code COBOL programs

Getting started
DIVISIONs; syntax: data names, sentences, statements, clauses, paragraphs, sections; SPECIAL-NAMES; FILE-CONTROL: SELECT.

Defining data
FILE, WORKING-STORAGE, LINKAGE sections; FD and record descriptions; level numbers, elementary and group items, PIC, SYNC, REDEFINES, VALUE, FILLER

Basic processing statements
Data movement: MOVE, INITIALIZE, ACCEPT; conditions: relational, logical, condition-names; arithmetic, error handling, scope delimiters; program termination: STOP RUN, GOBACK; GO TO, PERFORM, EXIT; CONTINUE, NEXT SENTENCE; GO TO DEPENDING; Compiler input and output: COPY, object program structure.

File handling
OPEN and CLOSE; READ, WRITE, DELETE, REWRITE, START, READ NEXT; return codes; printer files; edited picture fields; WRITE AFTER PAGE.

Table handling
OCCURS; indexed vs subscripted tables; SSRANGE, SET and SEARCH statements; loading tables; variable length tables.

Modular programming, advanced features
CALL; LINKAGE SECTION and parameters; GOBACK, EXIT PROGRAM, ENTRY, CANCEL; SET condition names; INSPECT; STRING, UNSTRING; EVALUATE; setting condition codes; internal SORT; debugging; intrinsic functions; LE callable services.

CICS considerations
Field lengths;  ADDRESS; restrictions; sample compilation output; SET statement.