Accessing Data on the Command Line from COBOL

You can use the following methods to enable a program to access and use data on the command line:

• To move the complete contents of the command line to a data-name, use ACCEPT data-name FROM COMMAND-LINE. For example:

  …
  working-storage section.
  01 cmdline pic x(100).
        
  procedure division.
  accept cmdline from command-line
  …
  

• To access individual arguments on the command line, use one of the following:
  • DISPLAY ... UPON ARGUMENT-NUMBER
  • ACCEPT ... FROM ARGUMENT-NUMBER

    program-id. Program1.
    data division.
    Procedure division using by value cmds as string occurs any.
    Perform varying s as string thru CMDS
            Display s
           End-perform