COBOL Programming Language Cheatsheet

COBOL, short for Common Business-Oriented Language, has been a stalwart in the world of business and finance for decades. Originally developed in the late 1950s, COBOL remains a relevant language for large-scale, mission-critical enterprise applications. Whether you’re a seasoned COBOL developer or exploring this language for the first time, having a cheatsheet at your disposal can significantly enhance your productivity. Let’s delve into the key elements of a COBOL programming language cheatsheet.

1. Hello World:

       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. HelloWorld.
       DISPLAY 'Hello, World!'.
       STOP RUN.

2. Variables and Types:

       01  Employee-Name        PIC X(30).
       05  Employee-Age         PIC 99.
       10  Employee-Salary      PIC 9(7)V99.

3. Procedure Division:

       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           DISPLAY 'Enter your name: '.
           ACCEPT Employee-Name.
           DISPLAY 'Hello, ' Employee-Name.
           ADD 1 TO Employee-Age.
           MULTIPLY 1000 BY 2.5 GIVING Employee-Salary.

4. Conditionals:

       IF Employee-Age < 25
           DISPLAY 'Young Employee'
       ELSE
           DISPLAY 'Experienced Employee'
       END-IF.

5. Loops:

       PERFORM 5 TIMES
           DISPLAY 'Loop Iteration: ' i
       END-PERFORM.

6. Arrays:

       01  Marks OCCURS 5 TIMES.
           05  Exam-Score PIC 99.

7. File Handling:

       SELECT Employee-File ASSIGN TO 'EMPLOYEE.DAT'.
       ORGANIZATION IS LINE SEQUENTIAL.
       FILE STATUS IS File-Status.

       OPEN OUTPUT Employee-File.
       WRITE Employee-Record.
       CLOSE Employee-File.

8. Subprograms:

       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. MainProgram.

       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 Counter PIC 99 VALUE 0.

       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           PERFORM Multiply-By-Two.
           DISPLAY 'Counter after multiplication: ' Counter.

       Multiply-By-Two.
           MULTIPLY Counter BY 2 GIVING Counter.

9. String Handling:

       01 String-Variable PIC X(20) VALUE 'COBOL Programming'.
       DISPLAY 'Length of String: ' FUNCTION LENGTH(String-Variable).

10. Error Handling:

       IF File-Status NOT = '00'
           DISPLAY 'Error in file operation: ' File-Status
       END-IF.

This COBOL cheatsheet covers fundamental aspects of the language, providing a quick reference for both beginners and experienced developers. COBOL’s enduring presence in business and finance makes it a valuable skillset to possess. As you navigate the complexities of COBOL programming, refer to this cheatsheet to streamline your development process and build robust enterprise applications. Reffer to Official Documentation for in-depth understanding.

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