HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Chapter 8 PROCEDURE DIVISION The PROCEDURE DIVISION is the division that specifies the operations to be carried out by the program. It is an optional part of a COBOL program and may contain declarative as well as nondeclarative procedures. Generally, statements in the PROCEDURE DIVISION are executed by the compiler in the order in which you enter them. However, you can alter this sequential flow by using one of the following statements: IF, PERFORM, GO TO, or EVALUATE. Also, through the use of the DECLARATIVES keyword coupled with the END DECLARATIVES keywords, you can specify procedures to be executed only under special circumstances.