HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Divisions
A division is the first level (highest) construct in a COBOL program.
COBOL programs are partitioned into the following four divisions, which
appear in the order listed:
* IDENTIFICATION DIVISION: Specifies the program name and other
items used to uniquely identify the program. This division is
required in every COBOL program.
* ENVIRONMENT DIVISION: Describes the computer and peripheral
devices used to compile and execute the program, and the data
files used by the program. This division is optional.
* DATA DIVISION: Describes and defines the data items referenced by
the program, including their names, lengths, decimal point
locations (if applicable), and storage formats. This division
is optional.
* PROCEDURE DIVISION: Specifies the operations that the program must
perform, describing how the data defined in the DATA DIVISION
should be processed. This division is optional.
More information about the functions of these divisions appears later in
this manual, where the divisions are described individually.
Division Format
Each division begins with a header entry, which is sometimes followed by
one or more sections (in the ENVIRONMENT, DATA, and PROCEDURE DIVISIONs)
or paragraphs (in the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION) called the division body.
A division is terminated by the next division header in the program, or
by the end of the program in the PROCEDURE DIVISION. The IDENTIFICATION
DIVISION requires a body that specifies the name of the program.
Division Header Format
The division header consists of the division name, followed by the word
DIVISION, followed by a period and a space. In the PROCEDURE DIVISION
only, the optional USING phrase may also appear in the header between the
word DIVISION and the period. In any COBOL program, only the following
division headers are allowed:
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
DATA DIVISION.
PROCEDURE DIVISION [ USING {data-name-1...}].
NOTE Remember that the terminating periods shown in construct format
descriptions must be included. Otherwise, the compiler generally
misinterprets the construct.
The IDENTIFICATION, ENVIRONMENT, DATA, and PROCEDURE DIVISIONs, including
appropriate headers, appear in Figure 2-2 as items 1 through 4,
respectively.