HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Formats and Rules General Format A general format is the specific arrangement of the elements of a clause or a statement. Throughout this document a format is shown adjacent to information defining the clause or statement. When more than one specific arrangement is permitted, the general format is separated into numbered formats. Clauses must be written in the sequence given in the general formats. (Clauses that are optional must appear in the sequence shown if they are used.) In certain cases, stated explicitly in the rules associated with a given format, the clauses can appear in sequences other than that shown. Applications, requirements or restrictions are shown as rules. Syntax Rules Syntax rules are those rules that define or clarify the order in which words or elements are arranged to form larger elements, such as phrases, clauses, or statements. Syntax rules also impose restrictions on individual words or elements. These rules are used to define or clarify how the statement must be written; that is, the order of the elements of the statement and restrictions on what each element may represent. General Rules General rules are those rules that define or clarify the meaning or relationship of meanings of an element or set of elements. They are used to define or clarify the semantics of the statement and the effect that it has on either execution or on the way intermediate code is produced. Elements Elements which make up a clause or a statement consist of uppercase words, lowercase words, level-numbers, brackets, braces, connectives and special characters (see the chapter COBOL Concepts).