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Definitions (cont.)
Internal Data
The data described in a program excluding all external data items and
external file connectors. Items described in the linkage section of a
program are treated as internal data.
Internal File Connector
A file connector which is accessible only to one object program in a run
unit.
Invalid Key Condition
A condition, at object time, caused when a specified value of the key
associated with an indexed or relative file is determined to be invalid.
Key
A data item which identifies the location of a record, or a set of data
items which serve to identify the ordering of data.
Key of Reference
The key currently being used to access records within an indexed file.
Key Word
A reserved word or function-name whose presence is required when the
format in which the word appears is used in a source program.
Language-name
A system-name that specifies a particular programming language.
Level Indicator
Two alphabetic characters that identify a specific type of file or a
position in hierarchy.
Level-number
A user-defined word which indicates the position of a data item in the
hierarchical structure of a logical record or which indicates special
properties of a data description entry. A level-number is expressed as a
one or two digit number. Level-numbers in the range 1 through 49
indicate the position of a data item in the hierarchical structure of a
logical record.
Level-numbers in the range 1 through 9 can be written either as a single
digit or as a zero followed by a significant digit. Level-numbers 66,
77, 78 and 88 identify special properties of a data description entry.
Library-name
A user-defined word that names a COBOL library source file that is to be
used by your COBOL system during creation of the object code.
Library-text
A sequence of character-strings and/or separators in a COBOL library.
Line Sequential File Organization
A type of sequential file containing variable length records in the
format of text files produced by the host operating system.
Linkage Section
The section in the Data Division of the called program that describes
data items available from the calling program. These data items can be
referred to by both the calling and the called programs.
Literal
A character-string whose value is implied by the ordered set of
characters comprising the string.
Literal Field
An elementary screen item whose description contains no PICTURE clause.
Logical Operator
One of the reserved words AND, OR or NOT. In the formation of a
condition, both or either of AND and OR can be used as logical
connections. NOT can be used for logical negation.
Logical Record
The most inclusive data item. The level-number for a record is 01.
Low Order End
The rightmost character of a string of characters.
MCS
See Message Control System.
Merge File
A collection of records to be merged by a MERGE statement. The merge
file is created and can be used only by the merge function.
Message
Data associated with an end of message indicator or an end of group
indicator. (See Message Indicators.)
Message Control System (MCS)
A communication control system that supports the processing of messages
to and from terminal devices.
Message Count
The count of the number of complete messages that exist in the designated
queue of messages.
Message Indicators
EGI (end of group indicator), EMI (end of message indicator), and ESI
(end of segment indicator) are conceptual indications that serve to
notify the MCS that a specific condition exists (end of group, end of
message, end of segment).
Within the hierarchy of EGI, EMI, and ESI, an EGI is conceptually
equivalent to an ESI, EMI, and EGI. An EMI is conceptually equivalent to
an ESI and EMI. Thus, a segment can be terminated by an ESI, EMI, or EGI.
A message can be terminated by an EMI or EGI.
Message Segment
Data that forms a logical subdivision of a message normally associated
with an end of segment indicator. See Message Indicators.
Mnemonic-name
A user-defined word that is associated in the Environment Division with a
specified implementor-name.
Native Character Set
The implementor-defined character set associated with the computer
specified in the OBJECT-COMPUTER paragraph.
Native Collating Sequence
The default collating sequence associated with the computer specified in
the OBJECT-COMPUTER paragraph.
Negated Combined Condition
The "NOT", logical operator immediately followed by a parenthesized
combined condition.
Negated Simple Condition
The "NOT" logical operator immediately followed by a simple condition.
Next Executable Sentence
The next sentence to which control will be transferred after execution of
the current statement is complete.
Next Executable Statement
The next statement to which control will be transferred after execution
of the current statement is complete.
Next Record
The record which logically follows the current record of a file.
Noncontiguous Items
Elementary data items, in the Working-Storage, Local-Storage and Linkage
Sections, which bear no hierarchic relationship to other data items.
Nonnumeric Item
A data item whose description permits its contents to be composed of any
combination of characters taken from the computer's character set.
Certain categories of non-numeric items can be formed from more
restricted character sets.
Nonnumeric Literal
A character-string bounded by quotation marks. The string of characters
can include any character in the computer's character set. To represent
a single quotation mark character within a nonnumeric literal, two
contiguous quotation marks must be used.
Numeric Character
A character that belongs to the following set of digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
Numeric Function
A function whose class and category are numeric but which for some
possible evaluation does not satisfy the requirements of an integer
function.
Numeric Item
A data item whose description restricts its contents to a value
represented by characters chosen from the digits 0 through 9; if signed,
the item can also contain a "+", "-" , or other representation of an
operational sign.
Numeric Literal
A literal composed of one or more numeric characters that also can
contain either a decimal point or an algebraic sign, or both. The
decimal point must not be the rightmost character. The algebraic sign,
if present, must be the leftmost character.
Object-Computer
The name of an Environment Division paragraph in which the computer
environment, within which the run-time program is executed, is described.
Object Time
The time at which a COBOL source program is translated by your COBOL
system to an intermediate code program.
Open Mode
The state of a file after execution of an OPEN statement for that file
and before the execution of a CLOSE statement for that file. The
particular open mode is specified in the OPEN statement as either INPUT,
OUTPUT, I-O or EXTEND.
Operand
Whereas the general definition of operand is "that component which is
operated upon", for the purposes of this publication, any lowercase word
(or words) that appears in a statement or entry format can be considered
to be an operand and, as such, is an implied reference to the data
indicated by the operand.
Operational Sign
An algebraic sign, associated with a numeric data item or a numeric
literal, to indicate whether its value is positive or negative.
Optional Word
A reserved word that is included in a specified format only to improve
the readability of the language and whose presence is optional to the
user when the format in which the word appears is used in a source
program.
Output Field
A screen item whose description contains a FROM phrase.
Output File
A file that is opened in either the output mode or extend mode.
Output Mode
The state of a file after execution of an OPEN statement, with the OUTPUT
or EXTEND phrase specified for that file and before the execution of a
CLOSE statement for that file.
Output Procedure
A set of statements to which control is given during execution of a SORT
statement after the sort function is completed, or during execution of a
MERGE statement after the merge function has selected the next record in
merged order.
Paragraph
In the Identification and Environment Divisions, a paragraph header
followed by zero, one, or more entries. In the Procedure Division, a
paragraph-name followed by a period and a space and optionally by one or
more sentences.
Paragraph Header
A reserved word, followed by a period and a space that indicates the
beginning of a paragraph in the Identification and Environment Divisions.
The permissible paragraph headers are:
In the Identification Division:
PROGRAM-ID.
AUTHOR.
INSTALLATION.
DATE-WRITTEN.
DATE-COMPILED.
SECURITY.
REMARKS.
In the Environment Division:
SOURCE-COMPUTER.
OBJECT-COMPUTER.
SPECIAL-NAMES.
FILE-CONTROL.
I-O-CONTROL.
Paragraph-name
A user-defined word that identifies and begins a paragraph in the
Procedure Division.
Phrase
A phrase is an ordered set of one or more consecutive COBOL
character-strings that form a portion of a COBOL procedural statement or
of a COBOL clause.
Physical Record
See Block.
Pointer Item
An elementary data item to which a USAGE IS POINTER or PROCEDURE-POINTER
clause applies.
Prime Record Key
A key whose contents uniquely identify a record within an indexed file.
Procedure
A paragraph or group of logically successive paragraphs, or a section or
group of logically successive sections, within the Procedure Division.
Procedure-name
A user-defined word which is used to name a paragraph or section in the
Procedure Division. It consists of a paragraph-name or a section-name.
Program-name
A user-defined word that identifies a COBOL source program.
Prompt Character
The character used to mark empty character positions in a screen item.
Pseudo-text
A sequence of character-strings and/or separators bounded by, but not
including, pseudo-text delimiters.
Pseudo-text Delimiter
Two contiguous equal sign (=) characters used to delimit pseudo-text.
Punctuation Character
A character that belongs to the following set:
Character Meaning
, comma
; semicolon
. period
" quotation mark
( left parenthesis
) right parenthesis
space
= equal sign
' apostrophe
Qualified Data-name
An identifier that is composed of a data-name followed by one or more
sets of either of the connectives OF and IN, followed by a data-name
qualifier.
Qualifier
1. A data-name which is used in a reference together with another
data name at a lower level in the same hierarchy.
2. A section-name which is used in a reference together with a
paragraph-name specified in that section.
3. A library-name which is used in a reference together with a
text-name associated with that library.
Queue
A logical collection of messages, processes, print jobs, and so on,
awaiting transmission or processing.
Queue Name
A symbolic name that indicates to the MCS the logical path by which a
message or a portion of a completed message can be accessible in a queue.
Random Access
An access mode in which the program-specified value of a key data item
identifies the logical record that is obtained from, deleted from or
placed into a relative or indexed file.
Receiving Item
A data item referenced in a TO or USING phrase in a PICTURE clause in the
Screen Section.
Record
See Logical Record.
Record Area
A storage area allocated for the purpose of processing the record
described in a record description entry in the File Section.
Record Description Entry
The total set of data description entries associated with a particular
record.
Record Key
A key, either the prime record key or an alternate record key, whose
contents identify a record within an indexed file.
Record-name
A user-defined word that names a record described in a record description
entry in the Data Division.
Reference-format
A format that provides a standard method for describing COBOL source
programs.
Reference Modification
A definition of a data item by specifying a leftmost character and length
for the data item.
Relation
See Relational Operator.
Relation Character
A character that belongs to the following set:
Character Meaning
> greater than
< less than
= equal to
>= greater than or equal to
<= less than or equal to
<> unequal to
Relation Condition
The proposition, for which a truth value can be determined, that the
value of an arithmetic expression or data item has a specified
relationship to the value of another arithmetic expression or data item.
See Relational Operator.
Relational Operator
A reserved word, a relation character, a group of consecutive reserved
words, or a group of consecutive reserved words and relation characters
used in the construction of a relation condition. The permissible
operators and their meanings are:
Relational Operator Meaning
IS [NOT] GREATER THAN IS [NOT] > Greater than or not greater than
IS [NOT] LESS THAN IS [NOT] < Less than or not less than
IS [NOT] EQUAL TO IS [NOT] = Equal to or not equal to
IS GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO IS >= Greater than or equal to
IS LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO IS <= Less than or equal to
IS UNEQUAL TO IS <> Not equal to
EQUALS Equal to
EXCEEDS Greater than
Relative File
A file with relative organization.
Relative Key
A key whose contents identify a logical record in a relative file.
Relative Organization
The permanent logical file structure in which each record is uniquely
identified by an integer value greater than zero, which specifies the
record's logical ordinal position in the file.
Reserved Word
A COBOL word specified in the list of words which can be used in COBOL
source programs, but which must not appear in the programs as
user-defined words or system-names.
Routine-name
A user-defined word that identifies a procedure written in a language
other than COBOL.
Run-time
The time at which the code produced by your COBOL system is executed.
Run-time System (RTS)
The software that interprets the code produced by your COBOL system and
enables it to be executed by providing interfaces to the operating system
and CRT.
Run Unit
A set of one or more programs which function, at run time, as a unit to
provide problem solutions.
Screen Description Entry
An entry in the Screen Section of the Data Division that is composed of a
level number, followed by an optional screen-name, and then by a set of
screen clauses as required. This entry is very similar in structure to a
data description entry, but while a data description entry declares areas
in memory, a screen description entry declares areas on the screen.
Screen Item
A field on the screen to which the screen description entry assigns
properties.
Screen Section
The last section in the Data Division in which the layouts of the screen
areas accessed in Format 4 of the ACCEPT and Format 2 of the DISPLAY
statements are defined.
Section
A set of none, one, or more paragraphs or entries, called a section body,
the first of which is preceded by a section header. Each section
consists of the section header and the related section body.
Section Header
A combination of words followed by a period and a space that indicates
the beginning of a section in the Environment, Data and Procedure
Divisions.
In the Environment and Data Divisions, a section header is composed of
reserved words followed by a period and a space. The permissible section
headers are:
In the Environment Division:
Configuration Section.
Input-Output Section.
In the Data Division:
File Section.
Working-Storage Section.
Local-Storage Section.
Linkage Section.
Communication Section.
Report Section
Screen Section.
In the Procedure Division, a section header is composed of a
section-name, followed by the reserved word SECTION, followed by a
segment-number (optional), followed by a period and a space.
Section-name
A user-defined word which names a section in the Procedure Division.
Segment-number
A user-defined word which classifies sections in the Procedure Division
for purposes of segmentation. Segment-numbers can contain only the
characters "0", "1", ..., "9". A segment-number can be expressed either
as a one- or two-digit number.
Sending Item
A data item referenced in a FROM or USING phrase in a PICTURE clause in
the Screen Section.
Sentence
A sequence of one or more statements, the last of which is terminated by
a period followed by a space.
Separate Program
A program which, together with its contained programs, is processed
separately from all other programs.
Separator
A punctuation character used to delimit character-strings.
Sequential Access
An access mode in which logical records are obtained from or placed into
a file in a consecutive predecessor-to-successor logical record sequence
determined by the order of records in the file.
Sequential File
A file with sequential organization.
Sequential Organization
The permanent logical file structure in which a record is identified by a
predecessor-successor relationship established when the record is placed
into the file.
Sign Condition
The proposition, for which a truth value can be determined, that the
algebraic value of a data item or an arithmetic expression is either less
than, greater than, or equal to zero.
Simple Condition
Any single condition chosen from the set:
relation condition
class condition
switch-status condition
condition-name condition
sign condition
(simple-condition)
Sort File
A collection of records to be sorted by a SORT statement. The sort file
is created and can be used by the sort function only.
Sort-merge File Description Entry
An entry in the File Section of the Data Division that is composed of the
level indicator SD, followed by a file-name, and then followed by a set
of file clauses as required.
Source
The symbolic definition of the originator of a transmission to a queue.
Source-Computer
The name of an Environment Division paragraph in which the computer
environment, within which the intermediate code is created, is described.
Source Program
Although it is recognized that a source program can be represented by
other forms and symbols, in this document it always refers to a
syntactically correct set of COBOL statements beginning with an
Identification Division and ending with the end of the Procedure
Division. In contexts where there is no danger of ambiguity, the word
"program" alone can be used in place of the phrase "source program".
Special Character
A character that belongs to the following set:
Character Meaning
+ plus sign
- minus sign
* asterisk
/ slash (virgule, stroke)
= equal sign
$ currency sign
, comma (decimal point)
; semicolon
. period (decimal point)
' quotation mark
( left parenthesis
) right parenthesis
> greater than symbol
< less than symbol
' apostrophe
& ampersand
Special-character Word
A reserved word which is an arithmetic operator or a relation character.
Special-Names
The name of an Environment Division paragraph in which implementor-names
are related to user-specified mnemonic-names.
Special Registers
Storage areas created by your COBOL system whose primary use is to store
information produced in conjunction with the user of specified COBOL
features.
Split Key
A concatenation of one or more data items within a record associated with
that file-name. It can be referenced only in START and READ statements.
For example, if a program contained the following definition:
01 rec.
03 forename pic X(10).
03 personnel-no pic X(4).
03 surname pic X(15).
the syntax:
record key is fullname = surname forename
would cause the COBOL system to treat fullname as though it were an
explicitly defined group item consisting of:
03 surname pic X(15).
03 forename pic X(10).
Standard Data Format
The concept used in describing the characteristics of data in a COBOL
Data Division under which the characteristics or properties of the data
are expressed in a form oriented to the appearance of the data on a
printed page of infinite length and breadth, rather than a form oriented
to the manner in which the data is stored internally in the computer or
on a particular external medium.
Statement
A syntactically valid combination of words and symbols written in the
Procedure Division beginning with a verb.
Sub-queue
A logical hierarchical division of a queue.
Subject of Entry
An operand or reserved word that appears immediately following the level
indicator or the level-number in a Data Division entry.
Subprogram
See Called Program.
Subscript
An occurrence number represented by either an integer, a data- name
optionally followed by an integer with the operator + or -, or an
index-name optionally followed by an integer with the operator + or -,
that identifies a particular element in a table. A subscript can be the
word ALL when the subscripted identifier is used as a function argument.
Subscripted Data-name
An identifier that is composed of a data-name followed by one or more
subscripts enclosed in parentheses.
Switch-status Condition
The proposition, for which a truth value can be determined, that an
implementor-defined switch, capable of being set to an "on" or "off"
status, has been set to a specified status.
Symbol Function
The use of specified characters in the PICTURE clause to represent data
types.
Syntax
The order in which elements must be put together to form a program.
System-name
A COBOL word which is used to communicate with the operating environment.
Table
A set of logically consecutive items of data that are defined in the Data
Division by means of the OCCURS clause.
Table Element
A data item that belongs to the set of repeated items comprising a table.
Terminal
An interactive input/output device consisting of a screen display or
printing device and a keyboard by which an operator can enter and receive
visual data.
Text-name
A user-defined word which identifies library text.
Text-word
A character or a sequence of contiguous characters between margin A and
margin R in a COBOL library, source program, or in pseudo-text which is:
1. A separator, except for: space; a pseudo text delimiter; and the
opening and closing delimiters for nonnumeric literals. The
right-parenthesis and left-parenthesis characters, regardless of
context within the library, source program, or pseudo-text, are
always considered text words.
2. A literal including, in the case of nonnumeric literals, the
opening quotation mark and the closing quotation mark which bound
the literal.
3. Any other sequence of contiguous COBOL characters except comment
lines and the word "COPY", bounded by separators, which is neither
a separator nor a literal. One or both of the bounding separators
can be a pseudo-text delimiter.
Truth Value
The representation of the result of the evaluation of a condition in
terms of one of two values:
true
false
Unary Operator
A plus (+) or a minus (-) sign, which precedes a variable or a left
parenthesis in an arithmetic expression and which has the effect of
multiplying the expression by +1 or -1, respectively.
Update Field
A screen item whose description contains a USING phrase.
User-defined Word
A COBOL word that must be supplied by the user to satisfy the format of a
clause or statement.
Variable
A data item whose value can be changed by execution of the object
program. A variable used in an arithmetic expression must be a numeric
elementary item.
Variable-Occurrence Data Item
A variable-occurrence data item is a table element which is repeated a
variable number of times. Such an item must contain an OCCURS DEPENDING
ON clause in its data description entry, or be subordinate to such an
item.
Verb
A word that expresses an action to be taken by your COBOL program at
object time, during creation of native code, or at run time.
Word
A character-string of not more than 30 characters which forms a
user-defined word, a system-name, a reserved word, or a function-name.
Working-Storage Section
The section of the Data Division that describes working storage data
items, composed either of noncontiguous items or of working storage
records, or of both.
77 Level-description-entry
A data description entry that describes a noncontiguous data item with
the level-number 77.
78 Level-description-entry
A data description entry that describes a condition-name with the
level-number 78.