Post #1
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Alex
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Joined: Jun 15, 2026, 9:20 AM
Posted: Aug 6, 2026, 9:18 AM
IDENTIFICATION, ENVIRONMENT, DATA, PROCEDURE. Do I always need all four? What goes in each?
Thread: COBOL
What are the COBOL divisions for?
Started by Alex • user3 replies259 viewsLast activity 1 week ago
Post #2
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Marty
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Posted: Aug 6, 2026, 10:18 AM
IDENTIFICATION = program name.
ENVIRONMENT = files / ASSIGN (and some config).
DATA = your fields, FD, copybooks.
PROCEDURE = the actual code.
You will see all four in most batch programs. Some short programs look sparse in ENVIRONMENT if they barely touch files.
Post #3
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Anita
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Posted: Aug 6, 2026, 1:18 PM
PROGRAM-ID under IDENTIFICATION is the one beginners forget, then the compile complains immediately.
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