COBOL - often ridiculed as "old" and "dusty," yet the silent workhorse behind many financial and administrative systems worldwide. But what does COBOL code actually look like? Let's dive into the world of structured programming!
The Anatomy of a COBOL Program
A COBOL program is divided into four divisions:
Identification Division: This is where the program name and optionally the author, version, etc. are specified.
Environment Division: This defines the system environment, e.g., files and databases.
Data Division: This is where variables, data structures, and file formats are defined.
Procedure Division: This contains the actual program logic with statements and commands.
Example: A Simple COBOL Code
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HELLO-WORLD.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
DISPLAY "Hello World!".
STOP RUN.
Explanation
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. and PROGRAM-ID. HELLO-WORLD. define the program name.
PROCEDURE DIVISION. initiates the program flow.
DISPLAY "Hello World!". outputs the text "Hello World!" on the screen.
STOP RUN. ends the program.
Special Features of COBOL
Structured Programming: COBOL encourages the division into modules and procedures.
Data Orientation: Strong focus on processing large amounts of data.
Self-Documenting: The code is relatively easy to understand due to its English-like syntax.
Conclusion
COBOL code may seem unusual at first glance, but it follows a clear structure and is easy to read thanks to its English-like syntax. Anyone who masters the basics of structured programming will quickly find their way around COBOL.
Have you had any experience with COBOL? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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