A COBOL Book of Practice and Reference

The ability to detect and correct programming errors is highly praised by the professional programmer, instructor, and trainee, yet the opportunity to develop this vital skill is rarely available. The author’s previous works – COBOL: A Pragmatic Approach, The COBOL Environment, COBOL: A Vehicle for Information Systems, Structured COBOL: A Pragmatic Approach – offer numerous needed questions, exercises, problems, and projects, yet the demand continues for additional, challenging problems to enhance the learning experience.

Robert T. Grauer’s newest book answers this demand with the essential variety and quantity of problems needed for mastery of the COBOL language. A COBOL Book of Practice and Reference supplements any COBOL texts in a two semester sequence. The following table identifies exercises in specific areas:

• ABEND Debbugging

PMAP, DMAP, BL and BLL cells

• Arithmetic Statements

Syntax and related exercises

Execution errors with signed numbers

• Coding Guidelines

COBOL dos and don’ts

Cosmetics

Standards

• Compilation Errors
• Control breaks

Execution errors

• Editing
• File Maintenance

Sequential files

Nonsequential files

• Hierarchy charts
• IF Statement

Syntax and related exercises

Execution errors

• Indexed Files

Syntax and related exercises

Execution errors

VSAM versus ISAM

• I/O Statements

Syntax and related exercises

Execution errors

• MOVE Statement

Syntax and related exercises

Execution errors

• PERFORM Statement

Syntax and related exercises

Execution errors

• Pseudocode
• Report Writer

Syntax and related exercises

Compilation errors

Execution errors

• SEARCH Verb

Syntax and related exercises

Execution errors

• SORT Verb

Syntax and related exercises

Compilation errors

Execution errors

• Subprograms

Execution errors

ABENDs

• Table Processing

Execution errors

• Top Down Testing