HP 3000 Manuals

HP COBOL II/XL Reference Manual

Identifiers 

Data names that are uniquely identified by qualifiers, subscripts,
indexes, or  reference  modifiers are known collectively as
identifiers.[REV BEG] Function-identifiers are also identifiers.[REV END]

The syntax for identifiers is summarized in the general format:


            
[REV BEG]

The syntax for a function-identifier is:

     FUNCTION function-name-1 [({parameter-1} ... )] [reference-modifier]

Function-identifiers are described later in this chapter.[REV END]

The following are restrictions on the use of identifiers:

   *   Where subscripting is prohibited, indexing is also prohibited.

   *   You can alter the value of an index only by using the SET, SEARCH,
       and PERFORM statements in the PROCEDURE DIVISION. 

   *   You can store values referenced by index names into data names
       that are described by the USAGE IS INDEX clause of the DATA
       DIVISION. These data items are index data items.

MPE/iX 5.0 Documentation