COBOL for Beginners course outline

COBOL for Beginners

Duration: 10 days

Audience: New COBOL programmers

Prequisites: Aptitude for programming

You will complete three large programs and several small programs as part of the practical case study.

Objectives: Top Contents

On successful completion of this course each student will be able to:

* code IDENTIFICATION DIVISION entries
* code ENVIRONMENT DIVISION entries
* code SELECT statements for all types of files
* code SPECIAL-NAMES entries
* code DATA DIVISION entries for all types of data
* explain how numeric data may be stored
* code data definitions for binary, packed, and zoned numeric data
* code data definitions for elementary and group data items (structures)
* code statements which move and initialize data
* code statements which test conditions
* write statements which perform arithmetic
* specify printer files and create edited fields
* code statements which perform the common file-handling tasks
* write statements which control the flow of a program
* code data definitions for indexed and subscripted tables
* write statements which will search a table
* write statements which call a module
* code the entries needed in a called module
* use statements which manipulate strings
* code an internal SORT
* identify the parts of COBOL which are relevant to a CICS program
* use appropriate compiler options to generate useful information
* interpret compiler output
* interpret linkage editor output
* given a dump code, find the cause of the failure

Contents: Top Objectives
Introduction to COBOL
Language standards, LE COBOL, ANS 85, ANS 74, ANS 68; compilation options and procedures. Program structure: IDENTIFICATION, ENVIRONMENT, DATA, PROCEDURE divisions; reserved words; syntax: data names, sentences, statements, clauses, paragraphs, sections; comments; a sample program.

Getting started
Specifying the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION and ENVIRONMENT DIVISION; program name; SPECIAL-NAMES contents, multiple currency signs; FILE-CONTROL contents: SELECT statement for standard files and alternate indexes.

Defining data
DATA DIVISION structure: FILE, WORKING-STORAGE, and LINKAGE sections; file descriptions; record descriptions; data item descriptions: level numbers, elementary and group items, data types, PICTURE, SYNC, REDEFINES, VALUE, FILLER, repeated structures, 88 levels; 31-digit decimal support, COMP-5.

Basic processing statements
Imperative and conditional statements; data movement: MOVE, ACCEPT; conditions: relational, logical, condition-names.

Compiler input and output
Compilation options; COPY statement, LIBRARIAN, ENDEVOR, PANVALET; compilation output and error messages; object program structure.

Arithmetic statements
Data types; error handling; ADD, SUBTRACT, MULTIPLY, DIVIDE, COMPUTE.

Printer files
Edited picture fields; line counts, page counts; WRITE AFTER PAGE.

File handling
Opening and closing files; ACCESS clause and its implications; READ, WRITE, DELETE, REWRITE, START, READ NEXT; alternate indexes; return codes; dynamic file allocation.

Controlling program flow
Program termination: STOP RUN, GOBACK; GO TO, PERFORM, EXIT; NEXT SENTENCE; GO TO DEPENDING.

Table handling
OCCURS clause, defining table entries; indexed vs subscripted tables; SET and SEARCH statements; loading tables with data; variable length tables.

Modular programming
CALL statement and parameters; LINKAGE SECTION and parameter specification; GOBACK, EXIT PROGRAM, ENTRY, CANCEL, the USING clause; FUNCTION calls.

Advanced features
SET condition names; INSPECT; STRING; UNSTRING; setting condition codes.

Internal SORT
Sort file description; INPUT and OUTPUT procedures; SORT and MERGE statements; RELEASE, RETURN.

Dumps and debugging
JCL and compilation options: SYSDBOUT, SYSOUT, SYSUDUMP; typical causes of dumps.

Compiling programs
Source control; submitting programs for compilation; using SDSF to locate output; amending programs which have compilation errors.