Short Notes On COBOL

[shivanadrinaveen]

COBOL

Coding Rules:

In the COBOL program we have 80 columns in the screen
In that

Column 1-6:
   This area is used for comment tag, sequence number page or line number

Column 7:
   This column used for comment, continuation or indicating  that starting a new page. The meaning of following detail if we mentioned in the 7th column

   *: it is used to denote a line is comment

   _: is used for continuation of nonnumeric literals

   /: is used to subsequent instructions on the next page of the source listing
   

Column 8-11:
   This area is called as margin A or column A or area A. it is used to declaring the variables, literals

Column 12-72:
   This area is called as margin B or column B or area B. This area is used to the file names associates with FD and SD,LEVEL NUMBERS 02 TO49,66 and 88,procedure division sentences

Column 73-80:
   Actually this area is omitted .this area is optional and is used to write the clear description of the program. And what ever write the data in this area the COBOL compiler treats as a comment

Structure of the Program

   Each and every COBOL program having the 4 divisions and each having the specific functions. The divisions which are  having the COBOL program are

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION: