Language Reference

Table of Contents

Index

Chapter 2: Concepts of the COBOL Language

• 2.1 Character Set
• 2.2 Language Structure
  • 2.2.1 Separators
  • 2.2.2 Character-strings
    • 2.2.2.1 COBOL Words
  • 2.2.3 Scope of Names
    • 2.2.3.1 Conventions for Program-names
    • 2.2.3.2 Conventions for Condition-names, Data-names, File-names, Record-names, Report-names and Typedef-names
    • 2.2.3.3 Conventions for Index-names
    • 2.2.3.4 Conventions for Class-names (for Object Orientation) and Interface-names
    • 2.2.3.5 Conventions for Method-names
    • 2.2.3.6 Conventions for Function-prototype-names
  • 2.2.4 Literals
    • 2.2.4.1 Nonnumeric Literals
    • 2.2.4.2 Numeric Literals
      • 2.2.4.2.1 Fixed-Point Numeric Literals
      • 2.2.4.2.2 Floating-Point Numeric Literals
    • 2.2.4.3 Figurative Constant Values
    • 2.2.4.4 Constant-Names
    • 2.2.4.5 Concatenation Expressions
    • 2.2.4.6 Special Registers
    • 2.2.4.7 Predefined Object Identifiers
    • 2.2.4.8 PICTURE Character-Strings
    • 2.2.4.9 Comment-Entries
• 2.3 Formats and Rules
  • 2.3.1 General Format
  • 2.3.2 Syntax Rules
  • 2.3.3 General Rules
  • 2.3.4 Elements
• 2.4 Concept of Computer-independent Data Description
• 2.5 Concept of Levels
  • 2.5.1 Level-Numbers
• 2.6 Class and Category of Data
  • 2.6.1 Algebraic Signs
  • 2.6.2 Standard Alignment Rules
  • 2.6.3 Item Alignment for Increased Object-code Efficiency
  • 2.6.4 Selection of Character Representation and Radix
    • 2.6.4.1 DISPLAY Format
    • 2.6.4.2 COMPUTATIONAL, BINARY, or COMPUTATIONAL-4 Format
    • 2.6.4.3 COMPUTATIONAL-1, COMPUTATIONAL-2, FLOAT-SHORT and FLOAT-LONG Formats
    • 2.6.4.4 COMPUTATIONAL-3 or PACKED-DECIMAL Format
    • 2.6.4.5 COMPUTATIONAL-X and COMPUTATIONAL-5 Formats
    • 2.6.4.6 POINTER Format
    • 2.6.4.7 PROCEDURE-POINTER Format
  • 2.6.5 Uniqueness of Reference
    • 2.6.5.1 Qualification
    • 2.6.5.2 Subscripting
    • 2.6.5.3 Indexing
    • 2.6.5.4 Function-identifier
    • 2.6.5.5 Reference Modification
    • 2.6.5.6 Identifier
    • 2.6.5.7 Condition-Name
  • 2.6.6 Explicit and Implicit Specifications
    • 2.6.6.1 Explicit and Implicit Procedure Division References
    • 2.6.6.2 Explicit and Implicit Transfers of Control
    • 2.6.6.3 Explicit and Implicit Attributes
    • 2.6.6.4 Explicit and Implicit Scope Terminators