Post #1
1 votes
Sam
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Posts: 28
Joined: Jul 1, 2026, 2:30 PM
Posted: Jul 29, 2026, 8:31 AM
I see names like 1000-READ-FILE. and also SECTION headers. Are paragraphs just labels I PERFORM?
Thread: COBOL
What is a paragraph vs a section in COBOL?
Started by Sam • user3 replies196 viewsLast activity 2 weeks ago
Post #2
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Marty
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Joined: Aug 12, 2024, 9:14 AM
Posted: Jul 29, 2026, 10:31 AM
Paragraph = named chunk of code ending at the next paragraph name. You PERFORM it.
Section = bigger group of paragraphs. PERFORM section-name runs everything in that section until the next section.
Most modern code is paragraph-heavy. Numbered names like 1000- / 2000- are just shop style for order.
Post #3
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Alex
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Joined: Jun 15, 2026, 9:20 AM
Posted: Jul 30, 2026, 11:31 AM
So 1000-INIT. is a paragraph name, not a function with parameters. That took me a minute.
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