cobol_for_the_21st_century_glossary

Table of Contents

COBOL for the 21st Century - Appendix C Glossary
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
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COBOL for the 21st Century - Appendix C Glossary

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C. COBOL Glossary

Appendix C. Glossary

A

ACCEPT statement - COBOL ACCEPT statement - COBOL ACCEPT - “A COBOL statement used for reading in a low volume of input; unlike a READ, an ACCEPT does not require establishing a file with a SELECT statement, nor does it require an OPEN statement.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

ADD statement - COBOL ADD statement - COBOL ADD - “A COBOL statement used for performing an addition operation.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

AFTER ADVANCING - COBOL AFTER ADVANCING- “An option with the WRITE statement that can cause the paper in a printer to space any number of lines before an output record is printed.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Alphanumeric field - COBOL Alphanumeric field - “A field that can contain any character.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Alphanumeric literal - COBOL Alphanumeric literal - “See nonnumeric literal.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

ALTERNATE RECORD KEY - COBOL ALTERNATE RECORD KEY - “An option that allows an indexed file to be created with, and accessed by, more than one identifying key.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) - “An organization of academic, business, and government users that develops standards in a wide variety of areas, including programming.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Applications package - COBOL Applications package - “A prewritten program or set of programs designed to perform user-specified tasks. Contrast with customized programs.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Applications program - “A program designed to perform user-specified tasks. It may be part of an applications package or it may be a customized program. Contrast with operating systems software.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Applications programmer - “The computer professional who writes the set of instructions in an applications program. Same as software developer.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Area A - COBOL Area A - “Columns 8–11 of a COBOL coding sheet or program; some COBOL entries must begin in Area A, that is, column 8.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Area B - COBOL Area B - “Columns 12–72 of a COBOL coding sheet or program; most COBOL entries must begin in Area B, that is, anywhere from column 12 on.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Array - COBOL Array - “A storage area consisting of numerous fields, all with the same format; commonly used for storing totals.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Ascending sequence - COBOL Ascending sequence - “The ordering of data so that a key field in the first record is less than the key field in the next, and so on.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

ASCII code - “A common computer code for representing data; an acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

AT END clause - COBOL AT END clause - “A clause used with a sequential READ statement to indicate the operations to be performed when an end-of-file condition has been reached.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Audit trail - COBOL Audit trail - “A control listing that specifies changes made to a master file, errors encountered, the number of records processed, and any other data that might be helpful in ensuring the overall validity and integrity of an applications program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

AUTHOR - COBOL AUTHOR - “A paragraph coded in the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION after the PROGRAM-ID. It is typically used for documentation purposes to identify the programmer.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

B

Balanced line algorithm - “A technique for sequential file updating that is viewed by many as the most efficient and effective method.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Batch processing - COBOL Batch processing - “A mode of ing where data is accumulated and processed as a group rather than immediately as the data is generated.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Batch total - “A count of records within specific groups (e.g., departments, territories, and so on) used for control purposes to minimize the risk of records being misplaced or incorrectly transmitted.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Batch update procedure - “The process of using a file of transaction records along with an existing master file to produce a new master file.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

BEFORE ADVANCING - COBOL BEFORE ADVANCING - “An option with the WRITE statement that can cause the paper in a printer to space any number of lines after an output record is printed.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Binary search - COBOL Binary search - “An efficient method of searching a series of entries in a table or array that are in sequence by some key field. Contrast with serial search.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

BLANK WHEN ZERO clause - COBOL BLANK WHEN ZERO clause - “A clause used in the DATA DIVISION to ensure that a field consisting of all zeros will print as blanks.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

BLOCK CONTAINS clause - COBOL BLOCK CONTAINS clause - “A clause used in an FD to indicate the blocking factor of disk or tape files.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Blocking - COBOL Blocking - “Combining several logical records into one physical record to conserve space on a disk or tape.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Business Information System - COBOL Business Information System - “An organized set of procedures for accomplishing a set of business operations.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

C

CALL - COBOL CALL - “A COBOL statement for accessing a subprogram.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Called program - COBOL Called program - “A subprogram or program called into a user program as needed.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Calling program - COBOL Calling program - “A program that calls a subprogram.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Case structure - COBOL Case structure - “A logical control structure used when there are numerous paths to be followed depending on the contents of a given field. The EVALUATE verb is used for implementing the case structure.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Character - COBOL Character - “A single letter, digit, or special symbol. Fields such as NAME or SALARY are composed of individual characters.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Check digit - COBOL Check digit - “A computed integer added to a key field and used for minimizing the risk of transposition and transcription errors during the data entry process.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Check protection symbol (*) - COBOL Check protection symbol - “A symbol used to minimize the risk of people tampering with a check amount; e.g., $ 1.25 would print as $*****1.25 using the asterisk (*) as a check protection symbol.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Class - COBOL Class - “A set of objects that share attributes (data and procedures).” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Class test - COBOL Class test - “A data validation procedure used to ensure that input is entered in the appropriate data format, that is, numeric, alphabetic, or alphanumeric.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

CLOSE statement - COBOL CLOSE statement - COBOL CLOSE - “A COBOL statement that deactivates files and devices used in a program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

COBOL character set - “The full set of characters that may be used in a COBOL program. These characters are listed in Appendix A.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Coded field - COBOL Coded field - “A type of field in which a code is used to designate data; for example, 'M' may be a code to designate 'Married' in a Marital Status field; coded fields make records shorter and more manageable.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Coding sheet - COBOL Coding sheet - “A form that contains the specific columns in which entries are required in a programming language.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Cohesion - COBOL Cohesion - “A program exhibits cohesion when it has modules that perform only one self-contained set of operations, leaving unrelated tasks to other modules.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Collating sequence - COBOL Collating sequence - “The specific order in which characters are represented by a computer; for example, A < B < . . . Z and 0 < 1, . . . < 9. The two common computer codes, ASCII and EBCDIC, have slightly different collating sequences with regard to special characters and lowercase letters.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Compile (Compilation) - COBOL Compile (COBOL Compilation) - “The process of translating a symbolic program into machine language so that it can be executed.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Compiler - COBOL Compiler - “A special translator program used to convert source programs into object programs.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Compound conditional - COBOL Compound conditional - “An IF statement in which there are two or more conditions being tested; each condition is separated by the word OR or AND.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

COMPUTE statement - COBOL COMPUTE statement - COBOL COMPUTE - “A COBOL statement used for performing a series of arithmetic operations.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Concatenation - COBOL Concatenation - “The process of joining several fields together to form one field; a method of linking records, fields, or characters into one entity.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Conditional statement - COBOL Conditional statement - COBOL conditional - “An instruction that uses the word IF to test for the existence of a condition.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Condition-name - COBOL Condition-name - “A name assigned to a specific value or a range of values that an identifier can assume; IF (condition-name) is the same as IF (identifier = value), where the value is assigned to the condition-name; used on the 88-level in the DATA DIVISION.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

CONFIGURATION SECTION - COBOL CONFIGURATION SECTION - “A section of the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION that describes the source and object computers and any SPECIAL-NAMES used.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Constant - COBOL Constant - “A fixed value or literal that is used in a program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Continuation position - COBOL Continuation position - “Column 7 of a COBOL coding form or line can contain a hyphen (-) for continuing a nonnumeric literal from one line to the next.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Continuous form - COBOL Continuous form - “A continuous sheet of paper separated only by perforations and typically used by a computer's printer for printed output.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Control break processing - COBOL Control break processing - “The use of a control field for causing groups of records to be processed as one unit.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Control field - COBOL Control field - “A key field used to indicate when totals are to print; used in control break processing.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Control listing - COBOL Control listing - “A computer-produced report used for control or checking purposes; typically includes (1) identifying information about all input records processed by the computer, (2) any errors encountered, and (3) a total of records processed. See audit trail.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

COPY statement - COBOL COPY statement - COBOL COPY - “A COBOL statement for copying files, records, routines, and so on from a source statement library.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Counter field - COBOL Counter field - “A field used to sum the number of occurrences of a given condition.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

CURRENT-DATE - COBOL CURRENT-DATE - “A Y2K-compliant calendar function that can be used to obtain a date with a four-digit year.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Cursor - “A symbol, such as a blinking square or a question mark, that indicates where on a screen the next character will be entered.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Customized program - “An applications program that is written for a specific user.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

D

Database - “A collection of related files that can be cross-referenced for inquiry and reporting purposes.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

DATA DIVISION - COBOL DATA DIVISION - “One of the four major divisions of a COBOL program; it defines and describes all data to be used in a program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Data exception error - COBOL Data exception error - “A common logic error that occurs if data is designated in a PIC clause as numeric, but does not actually contain numeric data.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Data-name - COBOL Data-name - “The name assigned to each field, record, and file in a COBOL program. A data-name, unlike an identifier, may not be subscripted or qualified.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Data validation - COBOL Data validation - “Techniques used to minimize the risk of errors by checking input, insofar as is possible, before processing it.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

DATE-COMPILED - COBOL DATE-COMPILED - “A paragraph in the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION for indicating the date when a program was compiled.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

DATE-WRITTEN - COBOL DATE-WRITTEN - “A paragraph in the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION for indicating the date when a program was coded.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Debugging - COBOL Debugging - “The process of testing a program to eliminate errors.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Default - “The computer system's normal options that are implemented unless the programmer specifically requests an alternative.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

DELETE statement - COBOL DELETE statement - COBOL DELETE - “A COBOL statement used to delete records from indexed files.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Descending sequence - COBOL Descending sequence - “The ordering of data so that a key field in the first record is greater than the key field in the next and so on; that is, the first record has a key field with the greatest value.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Desk checking - COBOL Desk checking - “A method of debugging programs by manually checking for typographic, keying, and other errors prior to a compilation; this method of debugging reduces computer time.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Detail report - COBOL Detail report - “The printing of one or more lines for each input record read. Same as transaction report.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Diagnostic message - COBOL Diagnostic message “An explanation of a syntax error.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Digit extraction - COBOL Digit extraction - “One of numerous randomizing algorithms for converting a numeric key field to a disk address using the relative method of file organization.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Direct access - COBOL Direct access - “See random access.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Direct-referenced table - COBOL Direct-referenced table - “A type of table that can be accessed directly by using an input field as a subscript, thereby eliminating the need for a SEARCH.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

DISPLAY statement - COBOL DISPLAY statement - COBOL DISPLAY - “A COBOL statement used for printing or displaying a low volume of output; unlike a COBOL WRITE, a COBOL DISPLAY does not require establishing a file with a SELECT statement, nor does it require the use of an OPEN statement.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

DIVIDE statement - COBOL DIVIDE statement - COBOL DIVIDE - “A COBOL statement used for performing a division operation.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Divide exception - COBOL Divide exception - “An error that occurs when you attempt to divide a field by zero.” See COBOL divide by zero. (Cbl21stC 2006)

DIVISION - COBOL DIVISION - “One of four major parts of a COBOL program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Division algorithm method - COBOL Division algorithm method - “A hashing technique used to calculate record addresses in a relative file.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Documentation - “The formal set of documents that describes a program or system and how to use it.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

E

EBCDIC code - COBOL EBCDIC code - COBOL EBCDIC - “A common computer code for representing data on IBM and IBM-compatible mainframes; an acronym for Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Edit symbol - COBOL Edit symbol - “A symbol such as $,-, and used in a report-item to make printed or displayed output more readable.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Editing - COBOL Editing - “The process of converting data that is typically stored in a concise form into a more readable form; for example, $1,235.46 would be an edited version of 123546.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Elementary item - COBOL Elementary item - “A field that contains a PIC clause; a field that is not further subdivided.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Encapsulation - COBOL Encapsulation - “Hiding the data and procedures in an object behind a user interface so that the user program need not be concerned about the details and so that security can be maintained.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

End-of-file - COBOL End-of-file - EOF - COBOL EOF - “A condition that indicates when the last data record has been read and processed.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Enhancements - COBOL Enhancements - “Options that are provided by some COBOL compilers; these options are in addition to the standard requirements of an ANS COBOL compiler.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

ENVIRONMENT DIVISION - COBOL ENVIRONMENT DIVISION - “One of four major divisions of a COBOL program, it provides information on the equipment used with the program. This is the only division that may be machine-dependent.

EVALUATE statement - COBOL EVALUATE statement - COBOL EVALUATE - “A COBOL statement used to implement the case structure; it tests for a series of values.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Exception report - COBOL Exception report - “The printing of detail records that fall outside established guidelines, that is, records that are ”exceptions” to a rule.“ (Cbl21stC 2006)

Execution error - COBOL Execution error - “A major-level syntax error that will prevent program execution. Also called a fatal error.” (Cbl21stC 2006). See also COBOL execution and COBOL error.

EXIT - COBOL EXIT - “A COBOL reserved word that may be used to COBOL terminate a COBOL paragraph.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

EXIT PROGRAM - COBOL EXIT PROGRAM - “The last entry in a called program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

External table - COBOL External table - “A table stored on disk or other auxiliary storage device that is loaded into the program as needed. Modifying or updating such tables does not require modification of the program using the table. Contrast with internal table.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

F

FD - COBOL FD - “See File Description or COBOL File Description.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Field - COBOL Field - “A group of consecutive characters used to represent a unit of information; for example, a NAME field or an AMOUNT field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

FIFO (first in, first out) - COBOL FIFO (COBOL first in, first out) - “The technique of storing records so that the first one entered is the first one available for outputting; analogous to a queue or waiting line where the first entry is the one handled first.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Figurative constant - COBOL Figurative constant - “A COBOL reserved word, such as SPACES or ZEROS, where the word denotes the actual value; for example, MOVE ZEROS TO TOTAL will result in all 0's in the field called TOTAL.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

File - COBOL File - “A major collection of data consisting of records.” (Cbl21stC 2006). See also VSAM file

FILE-CONTROL - COBOL FILE-CONTROL - “A paragraph in the COBOL INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION of the COBOL ENVIRONMENT DIVISION where each file to be used in the program is assigned to a device.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

File Description (FD) - COBOL File Description (COBOL FD) - “Entries used to describe an COBOL input file or COBOL output file.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

FILE SECTION - COBOL FILE SECTION - “The section of the DATA DIVISION in which COBOL input files and COBOL output files are defined and described.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

FILE STATUS clause - COBOL FILE STATUS clause - COBOL FILE STATUS - “The FILE STATUS clause can be used with a COBOL SELECT statement for determining the result of an COBOL input/output operation. If an input or output error has occurred, the COBOL FILE STATUS field indicates the specific type of error.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

FILLER - COBOL FILLER - “A COBOL reserved word used to designate a COBOL field that will not be accessed by the COBOL program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Fixed-length records - COBOL Fixed-length record - ”COBOL Records within a COBOL file that are all the same length.“ (Cbl21stC 2006)

Flag - COBOL Flag - “See switch or COBOL switch.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Floating string - COBOL Floating string - “A COBOL edit symbol, such as a $, that will appear adjacent to the first significant digit.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Flowchart - COBOL Flowchart - “A planning tool that provides a pictorial representation of the logic to be used in a program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Folding - COBOL Folding - “One of numerous randomizing algorithms used to convert a numeric key field to a disk address using the relative method of file organization.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

G

GO TO statement - COBOL GO TO statement - COBOL GO TO - “A branch instruction that transfers control from one paragraph to another; GO TO statements are to be avoided in structured COBOL programs; that is, PERFORM statements should be used in place of GO TOs.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Group item - COBOL Group item - “A field that is further subdivided into elementary fields with COBOL PICTURE clauses.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Group report - COBOL Group report - “The printing of one line of output for groups of input records; usually used to summarize data. Same as COBOL summary report.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

H

Hashing - COBOL Hashing - COBOL Hash - “A technique for transforming a record's key field into a relative record number.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Header label - COBOL Header label - “The first record recorded on a disk or tape for identification purposes.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Hierarchy chart - COBOL Hierarchy chart - “A planning tool for specifying the relationships among COBOL modules in a COBOL program; another term for hierarchy chart is COBOL structure chart or visual table of contents (COBOL VTOC); a tool used to depict top-down logic.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

High-order position - COBOL High-order position - “The leftmost, or most significant, character in a field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

HIGH-VALUES - COBOL HIGH-VALUES - “A COBOL reserved word that represents the largest value in the computer's collating sequence; may be used only with fields defined as alphanumeric.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

I

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION - COBOL IDENTIFICATION DIVISION - “The first division of a COBOL program; used for documentation purposes.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Identifier - COBOL Identifier - “The name assigned to fields and records in a COBOL program. An identifier, unlike a data-name, may be subscripted or qualified.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

IF-THEN-ELSE - COBOL IF-THEN-ELSE - “A logical control structure that executes a step or series of steps depending on the existence of a specific condition or conditions. Same as selection.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Imperative statement - COBOL Imperative statement - “Begins with a verb and specifies an unconditional action to be taken by the computer; contrast with conditional statement.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Implementor-name - COBOL Implementor-name - “A system-dependent term that equates a user-defined entry with a specific device.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Implied decimal point - COBOL Implied decimal point - “The place where a decimal point is assumed to be in a field; PIC 99V99, for example, has an implied decimal point between the second and third positions; for example, 1234 in a field with PIC 99V99 is assumed to have a value of 12.34 for arithmetic and comparison purposes.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Index (for an indexed disk file - COBOL indexed disk file) - COBOL Index - “A reference table that stores the key field and the corresponding disk address for each record that is in an indexed disk file.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Index (INDEXED BY with OCCURS) - “The indicator used to reference an item defined by an OCCURS clause or subordinate to an item defined by an OCCURS clause. An index functions just like a subscript; unlike a subscript, however, an index is not defined separately in WORKING-STORAGE.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Indexed file - COBOL Indexed file - “A method of file organization in which each record's key field is assigned a disk address; used when random access of disk records is required.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Infinite loop - COBOL Infinite loop - “An error condition in which a program would continue performing a module indefinitely or until time has run out for the program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Information system - COBOL Information system - “A set of computerized business procedures in a specific application area.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Inheritance - COBOL Inheritance - “The ability for objects to share attributes held by other objects in the same class.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

INITIALIZE statement - COBOL INITIALIZE statement - COBOL INITIALIZE - “A COBOL statement that sets numeric fields to zero and nonnumeric fields to spaces.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

In-line PERFORM statement - COBOL In-line PERFORM statement - COBOL In-line PERFORM - “A PERFORM statement without a paragraph-name, which is followed by all instructions to be executed at that point; it is delimited with an END-PERFORM.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Input - COBOL Input - “The data that is entered into a computer system.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION - COBOL INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION - “That section of the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION that provides information on the input/output devices used in the program and the names assigned to the devices.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

INPUT PROCEDURE - COBOL INPUT PROCEDURE - “An option used with the SORT statement to process input records prior to sorting them.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

INSPECT statement - COBOL INSPECT statement - COBOL INSPECT - “A COBOL statement for counting the occurrence of specific characters in a field and for replacing one character with another.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

INSTALLATION - COBOL INSTALLATION - “A paragraph coded in the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION for documentation purposes; used to denote where the program is run.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Instantiation - COBOL Instantiation - “Establishing a new instance of an object in a class.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Interactive processing - COBOL Interactive processing - “A mode of processing where data is operated on as soon as it is transacted or generated.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Intermediate result field - “A field defined in WORKING-STORAGE that is necessary for performing calculations but is not part of either the input or the output areas.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Internal table - COBOL Internal table - “A table defined in a program with the use of VALUE clauses. Modifying or updating such tables requires program modification, which always increases the risk of errors. Contrast with external table.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Intrinsic function - COBOL Intrinsic function - “A built-in function such as SQRT (X), which calculates the square root of X.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

INVALID KEY clause - COBOL INVALID KEY clause - COBOL INVALID KEY - “A clause that can be used with READ, WRITE, and REWRITE statements for indexed files; checks that disk records have valid key fields.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

I-O file - COBOL I-O file - “An indexed or relative file that is opened as both input and output when the file is to be updated.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Iteration - COBOL Iteration - “A logical control structure for indicating the repeated execution of a routine or routines.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

J

Julian date - “A date in yyyyddd format, where yyyy is a four-digit number that represents the year and ddd is a three-digit number from 001 to 366 that represents the day of the year. For example, the Julian date for January 1, 2003 is 2003001.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

JUSTIFIED RIGHT clause - “A clause used in the DATA DIVISION with a nonnumeric field to store the data in the rightmost positions rather than the leftmost positions of the field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

K

Key field - “A field that identifies a record; for example, ACCT-NO, EMPLOYEE-NO, or PART-NO could be key fields.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

L

LABEL RECORD(S) - “A clause in a File Description entry to designate whether header and trailer labels are standard or omitted.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Level number - “A number from 01-49 that denotes the hierarchy of data within records.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Library - “A file of programs that can be called in by the operating system or program as needed.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Limit test - “A data validation procedure used to ensure that a field does not exceed a specified limit.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Line counter - “A field used for keeping track of the number of lines printed.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

LINKAGE SECTION - “A section used when calling subprograms to pass data from a called subprogram back to a calling program and/or from a calling program to a called program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Logic error - “A program error that can be caused by a mistake in the sequencing of instructions or from an improperly coded instruction that does not accomplish what was desired. Contrast with syntax error.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Logical control structures - “The ways in which instructions in a program may be executed.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Loop - “A programming technique for executing a series of steps a fixed number of times or until a specified condition is met.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Low-order position - “The rightmost position in a field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

M

Machine language - “The only executable language; the language into which programs must be translated before execution.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Main module - “Usually the first module in a top-down program; all other modules are executed from the main module in a top-down program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Master file - “The major collection of data pertaining to a specific application.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Menu - “A technique used for interactive processing; the user is offered various options from which to select the procedures or routines required.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

MERGE statement - COBOL MERGE statement - COBOL MERGE - “A COBOL statement that combines two or more data files into one main file. The statement has a format similar to the SORT and automatically handles the opening, closing, and input/output operations associated with the files to be merged.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Module - COBOL Module - “A section, routine, procedure, or paragraph in a structured program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

MOVE statement - COBOL MOVE statement - COBOL MOVE - “A COBOL statement that transmits, or copies, data from a sending field to a receiving field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

MULTIPLY statement - COBOL MULTIPLY statement - COBOL MULTIPLY - “A COBOL statement used for multiplying one field by another.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Murphy's Law - “An adage that states that if it is possible for something to go wrong, eventually it will go wrong; should be kept in mind when you prepare test data so that you make sure you test for every conceivable condition.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

N

Negated conditional - “An IF statement that tests for the absence of a condition; the word NOT is used in the statement; for example, IF A IS NOT EQUAL TO B ….” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Nested conditional - “An IF within an IF; an alternative to writing a series of simple conditionals.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Nested PERFORM - “A PERFORM within a PERFORM.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

NEXT RECORD clause - “A clause used for sequentially reading from an indexed or relative file that has been accessed dynamically.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Nonnumeric literal - “A constant or fixed value that may contain up to 160 characters in the COBOL character set (except a quote); such literals are enclosed in quotes.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Numeric literal - “A constant that can contain only numbers, a decimal point, and a sign; typically used in arithmetic and comparison operations.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

O

Object - “An integrated unit of data and procedures or methods that operate on that data.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

OBJECT-COMPUTER - “The paragraph of the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION that indicates the computer on which the program is executed or run.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Object-oriented programming - “A method of programming that combines data with the procedures and functions that operate on it; such combinations are called objects. This programming method reduces duplication of effort by enabling programmers to reuse code stored in a library.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Object program - “The machine-language equivalent of a source program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

OCCURS clause - “A clause used for indicating the repeated occurrence of items in the DATA DIVISION, all with the same format.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

ON SIZE ERROR clause - “A clause used to indicate what operations are to be performed if a field is not large enough to hold the results of an arithmetic operation.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

OPEN statement - “A COBOL statement used to designate which files are input and which are output, and to activate the appropriate devices.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

OPEN EXTEND - “When a disk or tape file is opened in EXTEND mode, the disk or tape is positioned at the end of the file. This mode is used for adding records to the end of a file.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Operand - “A field or a literal that is specified in an instruction.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Operating systems software - “A set of programs that controls the overall operations of the computer and maximizes the efficient use of computer resources. Contrast with applications program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Output - “The information produced by a computer system.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

OUTPUT PROCEDURE - “An option used with the SORT statement to process sorted records before they are produced as output.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Overflow - “See truncation.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

P

PAGE - COBOL PAGE - “A COBOL reserved word used with the ADVANCING option of a WRITE statement so that the paper advances to a new page.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Paragraph - “A subdivision of a COBOL program consisting of statements or sentences.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Parallel tables - “Two tables having values that correspond or relate to one another. For example, one table might contain zip codes and a parallel table might contain sales tax rates for each corresponding zip code.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

PERFORM statement - COBOL PERFORM statement - COBOL PERFORM - “A logical control statement used for executing a paragraph or series of paragraphs and then returning control to the original module.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

PERFORM ... TIMES statement - COBOL PERFORM ... TIMES statement - COBOL PERFORM ... TIMES - “A COBOL statement that instructs the computer to iterate, or execute a sequence of steps, a fixed number of times.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

PERFORM UNTIL .... statement - COBOL PERFORM UNTIL .... statement - COBOL PERFORM UNTIL - “A COBOL statement that instructs the computer to iterate, or execute a sequence of steps, until the condition specified is met.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

PERFORM ... VARYING statement - COBOL PERFORM ... VARYING statement - COBOL PERFORM ... VARYING - “A COBOL statement that instructs the computer to iterate by varying an identifier from an initial value until that identifier contains another value.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Persistence - COBOL Persistence - “The ability of a user program to operate on class objects and retain the changes made.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

PICTURE (PIC) clause - PICTURE clause - COBOL PICTURE clause - COBOL PICTURE - PIC clause - COBOL PIC clause - COBOL PIC - “A clause that indicates the size and type of data to be entered in a field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Polymorphism - “The ability for objects in a class to respond to methods differently from other objects in the class.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Priming READ - COBOL Priming READ - “An initial READ used typically in COBOL 74 programs to read the first record.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Printer Spacing Chart - “A tool used to map out the proper spacing of output in a printed report.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

PROCEDURE DIVISION - COBOL PROCEDURE DIVISION - “The division of a COBOL program that contains the instructions to be executed.” (Cbl21stC 2006) See also COBOL Procedure

Program - COBOL Program - “A set of instructions that operates on input data and converts it to output.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

PROGRAM-ID - COBOL PROGRAM-ID - “The only paragraph required in the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Program interrupt - COBOL Program interrupt COBOL interrupt - “An COBOL abnormal end (COBOL abend) condition that occurs if there is a major error in a program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Program sheet - “See coding sheet.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Program specifications - “The precise instructions necessary for writing a program; consists of record layout forms for disk or tape input and output, and Printer Spacing Charts for printed output, along with notes specifying the logic required.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Programmer - “The computer professional who writes the set of instructions to convert input to output.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Prompt - “A request by the computer for user input. A prompt can be a blinking cursor, a ?, or a message.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Pseudocode - “A program planning tool that uses English-like expressions rather than diagrams to depict the logic in a structured program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

R

Random access - “The method of processing data independently of the actual location of that data on disk. This method can be used with disk drives, which are classified as direct-access devices.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Randomizing algorithm - “A method used for randomizing numbers or, with relative files, for determining disk addresses for each record on a random basis.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Range test - “A data validation procedure to determine if a field has a value that falls within preestablished guidelines.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

READ statement - “The statement used to enter a record from an input device.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

READ ... INTO statement - “A COBOL statement that reads a record from a file and stores it in a WORKING-STORAGE record area.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Receiving field - “The field that accepts data from a sending field in a MOVE operation; in the statement MOVE AMT-IN TO AMT-OUT, AMT-OUT is the receiving field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Record - “A set of related fields treated as a unit. A payroll record on magnetic disk, for example, contains fields such as Social Security number, name, and salary.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

RECORD CONTAINS clause - “An optional clause within an FD for indicating the number of characters within a record.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Record description - “Entries used to describe records within a file and within WORKING-STORAGE.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

RECORD KEY - “The key field within an indexed record used for establishing an index.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Record layout form - “A form used in a problem definition to describe input and output formats on disk or tape.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

REDEFINES clause - “A clause used to describe a field of data in a different way.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Relative file - “A randomly accessible file in which the key field converts to an actual disk address.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

RELATIVE KEY - “The key field in a relative file that is nonblank and uniquely identifies the record.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Relative subscripting - “A subscript with a relative value; (SUB + 12), for example, would be a relative subscript.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

RELEASE statement - COBOL RELEASE statement - COBOL RELEASE - “A COBOL statement to write sorted records to an output file after they have been processed.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

REMAINDER clause - COBOL REMAINDER clause - COBOL REMAINDER - “A clause that may be used with the DIVIDE instruction for storing the remainder of a division operation.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Report-item - “A type of field used for storing edit symbols such as $,–, * in addition to numeric data; report-items are typically used when data is to be printed or displayed in a readable form.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Reserved word - COBOL Reserved word - “A word that has special significance to the COBOL compiler, such as ADD, MOVE, DATA.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

RETURN statement - COBOL RETURN statement - COBOL RETURN - “A COBOL statement to read records from a sorted work file after they have been processed.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

REWRITE statement - COBOL REWRITE statement - COBOL REWRITE - “A COBOL statement for altering existing disk records; used when disk records are to be updated.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

ROUNDED clause - COBOL ROUNDED clause - COBOL ROUNDED - “A clause used for rounding results to the specification of the receiving field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Routine - COBOL Routine - “A set of instructions or module used to perform a specific operation.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Run-time error - COBOL Run-time error - COBOL Run-time - “An error that occurs if the computer cannot execute an instruction; an example would be an attempt to divide by zero.” (Cbl21stC 2006) See also COBOL errors

S

Scope terminator - “A word that delimits the end of a logical control construct or the end of a statement with clauses. These include END-IF, END-PERFORM, END-EVALUATE, END-READ, and so on.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

SEARCH statement - COBOL SEARCH statement - COBOL SEARCH - “A COBOL statement for looking up an item in a table; used to perform a serial search.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

SEARCH ALL statement - COBOL SEARCH ALL statement - COBOL SEARCH ALL - “A COBOL statement for looking up an item in a table using a more efficient method of searching that requires table entries to be in sequence; used to perform a binary search.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Search argument - “The incoming field that is used for finding a match with a table entry.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Section - COBOL Section - “A series of paragraphs within a COBOL program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Sector - “A wedge-shaped segment of tracks on a disk.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

SECURITY paragraph - COBOL SECURITY paragraph - “A paragraph in the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION used to indicate the security classification for the program.” (Cbl21stC 2006) See also COBOL security

SELECT statement - COBOL SELECT statement - COBOL SELECT - “A COBOL statement in the FILE-CONTROL paragraph of the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION that is used to assign an input or output file to a specific device.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Selection - “A logical control structure that performs operations if a given condition is met and can perform other operations if the condition is not met. Same as IF-THEN-ELSE.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Sending field - “The field that is to be transmitted, copied, or sent to another field as a result of a MOVE operation; in the statement MOVE AMT-IN TO AMT-OUT, AMT-IN is the sending field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Sentence - “A COBOL statement or series of statements treated as a unit in a COBOL program and ending with a period.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Sequence - “A logical control structure in which a series of instructions are executed in the order in which they appear.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Sequence checking - “A procedure that ensures that data entered is in the proper sequence, usually by a key field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Sequential processing - “The method of processing records in the order in which they are located in a file.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Serial search - “A table look-up method in which each entry in the table is compared to an item; the entries are consecutively compared, beginning with the first. Contrast with binary search.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

SET statement - COBOL SET statement - COBOL SET - “The statement used to transmit data to an index or to increase or decrease the value of the index.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Sign test - “A test performed to determine if a numeric field is positive, negative, or zero.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Simple condition - “A test for the existence of one condition rather than many conditions. Contrast with compound conditional.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Software - “A term used to describe all types of programs, including operating system programs and applications programs.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Software developer - See applications programmer.

SORT statement - COBOL SORT statement - COBOL SORT - “A COBOL statement used to sequence a file so that it is in a specified order.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

SOURCE-COMPUTER paragraph - COBOL SOURCE-COMPUTER paragraph - COBOL SOURCE-COMPUTER - - “The paragraph of the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION that indicates the computer on which the program is compiled or translated.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Source program - “A set of instructions that must be compiled or translated into machine language before it can be executed.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Square value truncation - COBOL Square value truncation - “One of numerous randomizing algorithms used to convert a numeric key field to a disk address using the relative method of file organization.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

START statement - COBOL START statement - COBOL START - “A COBOL statement that can be used to begin processing indexed records at a specified point, not necessarily at the beginning of the file.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Statement - COBOL Statement - “An COBOL instruction.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Stepwise refinement - COBOL Stepwise refinement - “The process of continually breaking down a procedure into smaller and smaller segments; this is a top-down technique.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

STOP RUN statement - COBOL STOP RUN statement - COBOL STOP RUN - “A COBOL statement that tells the computer to terminate the program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

STRING statement - COBOL STRING statement - COBOL STRING - “A COBOL statement used to join several fields together to form one field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Structure chart - COBOL Structure chart - “See COBOL hierarchy chart.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Structured programming - COBOL Structured programming - “A technique that makes programs easier to read, debug, and modify; sometimes referred to as GO-TO-less programming; each section of a program is written as an independent module and executed using a PERFORM statement.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Structured walkthrough - “See COBOL walkthrough.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Subprogram - COBOL Subprogram - “A program or series of modules that can be called into a user program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Subscript - “An identifier used for accessing a specific field in an array or table.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

SUBTRACT statement - COBOL SUBTRACT statement - COBOL SUBTRACT - “A COBOL statement that subtracts fields or literals from another field or fields.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Summary report - COBOL Summary report - “See COBOL group report.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Suppression of leading zeros - COBOL Suppression of leading zeros - “The process of editing a field so that high-order zeros are replaced with blanks.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Switch - COBOL Switch - “A type of field usually defined in COBOL WORKING-STORAGE for indicating the presence of a specific condition; the field is set equal to 1, for example, when a condition is met; at all other times, it remains at zero.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Symbolic programming language - “A programming language that is relatively easy for a programmer to learn but that requires a translation process before the program can be run.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Syntax error - COBOL Syntax error - “An error caused by a violation of a programming rule.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

T

Table - COBOL Table - “A series of consecutive items, all with the same format, defined in the COBOL DATA DIVISION with an COBOL OCCURS clause; used for looking up or matching against an item read in or computed by the program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Table argument - COBOL Table argument - “The table entry field that is used to locate the table function.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Table function - COBOL Table function - “The element from the table that is being sought or ”looked up.”“ (Cbl21stC 2006)

Table look-up - COBOL Table look-up - “A procedure where an item is matched against a table entry or argument for purposes of determining the value of some corresponding table entry or function.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Test data - COBOL Test data - ”Programmer-supplied data used to test the logic of a program.“ (Cbl21stC 2006)

Test for reasonableness - ” COBOL Test for reasonableness - “A data validation procedure to ensure that data entered as input is not obviously incorrect; for example, a year of transaction designated as 1989 (instead of 1998) would clearly be erroneous.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Top-down programming - “A programming technique in which main modules or procedures are coded before minor ones.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Tracks - “Concentric circles on a disk that are used to store data.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Trailer label - COBOL Trailer label - “An end-of-file label placed on disk or tape.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Transaction file - COBOL Transaction file - “A file that contains changes to be used for updating a master file.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Transaction report - COBOL Transaction report - “See COBOL detail report.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Truncation - COBOL Truncation - “When a receiving field is not large enough to accept a sending field, one or more characters or significant digits may be truncated or lost.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

U

UNSTRING statement - COBOL UNSTRING statement - COBOL UNSTRING - “A COBOL statement used to separate a field into multiple fields; for example, keyed data such as NAME-IN can be separated into its components (LAST-NAME, FIRST-NAME, and MIDDLE-INITIAL) without the delimiters that were used when entering the data.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Update procedure - COBOL Update procedure - “The process of making a master file current.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

USAGE clause - COBOL USAGE clause - COBOL USAGE - “A clause that specifies the format in which data is stored.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

USE statement - COBOL USE statement - COBOL USE - “A COBOL statement coded in the COBOL DECLARATIVES portion of a COBOL program that invokes COBOL error-handling paragraphs when an input/output error occurs.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

User - COBOL User - “The individual who will actually use the output from a computer run.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

User-friendly - COBOL User-friendly - “A technique for simplifying user interaction with a program.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

V

VALUE clause - COBOL VALUE clause - COBOL VALUE - “A literal or figurative constant to be placed in a WORKING-STORAGE field.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Variable data - COBOL Variable data - COBOL Variable - “Data that changes during each run of a program; contrast with constant.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Verification procedure - COBOL Verification procedure - “A procedure used to determine if the data keyed into a computer matches the source document from which it was generated.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Visual Table of Contents (VTOC) - COBOL Visual Table of Contents (VTOC) - “See hierarchy chart.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

W

Walkthrough - COBOL Walkthrough - “The process of checking a program to see if it will produce the results desired.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

WORKING-STORAGE SECTION - COBOL WORKING-STORAGE SECTION - COBOL WORKING-STORAGE - “A COBOL section of the COBOL DATA DIVISION that contains data required for processing that is not part of COBOL input or COBOL output.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

WRITE statement - COBOL WRITE statement - COBOL WRITE - “A COBOL statement used to produce output data.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

WRITE ... FROM statement - “A COBOL statement that moves data to an output area and then produces it as output.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Year 2000 (Y2K) Problem - “A problem relating to computer-coded dates that traditionally used two digits to represent the year — the assumption being that all years were in the twentieth century.” (Cbl21stC 2006)

Fair Use Sources

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