COBOL Tutorial

COBOL EJECT Clause - Quick Reference

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Overview

The EJECT clause is a standalone statement used to send a form feed character to the output device, causing a page break or new page. It is commonly used for printer control and report formatting to ensure proper page separation.

Purpose and Usage

Page control - Force page breaks in output
Report formatting - Control report layout and structure
Printer control - Manage printer page advancement
Output separation - Separate different sections of output
Form feed - Send form feed character to devices

Page Ejection Concept

Current Page Content

EJECT → Form Feed Character (0x0C)

New Page Starts

Page break or form feed sent to output device

EJECT sends a form feed character to cause a page break.

Syntax

The EJECT clause follows a simple syntax pattern and is used as a standalone statement in the PROCEDURE DIVISION.

Basic Syntax

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* Basic EJECT syntax
EJECT
 
* In context with other statements
DISPLAY "End of page content"
EJECT
DISPLAY "Start of new page content"
 
* With conditional logic
IF PAGE-NUMBER > 50
    EJECT
    MOVE 1 TO PAGE-NUMBER
END-IF
 
* In report generation
DISPLAY "Report Header"
EJECT
DISPLAY "Report Body"

EJECT is a simple standalone statement that requires no parameters.

EJECT vs ADVANCING PAGE

Feature	EJECT	ADVANCING PAGE
Usage	Standalone statement	Clause with WRITE
Context	General output control	File writing operations
Effect	Immediate page break	Page break with data
Flexibility	Simple and direct	Integrated with file I/O

Form Feed Character

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* EJECT sends form feed character
* ASCII: 12 (decimal)
* Hex: 0C
* Control character: FF (Form Feed)
 
* Equivalent operations:
EJECT                    * COBOL EJECT statement
DISPLAY X"0C" UPON PRINTER  * Manual form feed
WRITE RECORD AFTER ADVANCING PAGE  * With WRITE

EJECT sends a form feed character (0x0C) to the output device.

Practical Examples

These examples demonstrate how to use the EJECT clause effectively in different output scenarios.

Basic Report Generation

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IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. BASIC-REPORT-EJECT.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-PAGE-NUMBER      PIC 9(3) VALUE 1.
01  WS-LINE-COUNT       PIC 9(2) VALUE 0.
01  WS-MAX-LINES        PIC 9(2) VALUE 60.
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-PROCESS.
    * Print report header
    DISPLAY "SALES REPORT" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Page: " WS-PAGE-NUMBER UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Date: " FUNCTION CURRENT-DATE UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY " " UPON PRINTER
    
    * Print report content
    PERFORM PRINT-REPORT-CONTENT
    
    * Eject to new page for summary
    EJECT
    DISPLAY "REPORT SUMMARY" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Total pages: " WS-PAGE-NUMBER UPON PRINTER
    
    STOP RUN.
 
PRINT-REPORT-CONTENT.
    * Simulate printing report lines
    PERFORM VARYING WS-LINE-COUNT FROM 1 BY 1
        UNTIL WS-LINE-COUNT > 50
        
        DISPLAY "Line " WS-LINE-COUNT " content" UPON PRINTER
        
        * Check if page is full
        IF WS-LINE-COUNT = WS-MAX-LINES
            EJECT
            ADD 1 TO WS-PAGE-NUMBER
            MOVE 0 TO WS-LINE-COUNT
            DISPLAY "Page: " WS-PAGE-NUMBER UPON PRINTER
        END-IF
    END-PERFORM.

Basic report generation using EJECT for page breaks and formatting.

Multi-Section Report

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IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. MULTI-SECTION-REPORT.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-SECTION-COUNT    PIC 9(2) VALUE 0.
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-PROCESS.
    * Print title page
    DISPLAY "COMPANY ANNUAL REPORT" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Year: 2024" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY " " UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Prepared by: Finance Department" UPON PRINTER
    
    * Eject to start first section
    EJECT
    
    * Print financial summary section
    PERFORM PRINT-FINANCIAL-SUMMARY
    
    * Eject to start second section
    EJECT
    
    * Print operational summary section
    PERFORM PRINT-OPERATIONAL-SUMMARY
    
    * Eject to start third section
    EJECT
    
    * Print conclusions section
    PERFORM PRINT-CONCLUSIONS
    
    STOP RUN.
 
PRINT-FINANCIAL-SUMMARY.
    DISPLAY "FINANCIAL SUMMARY" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "==================" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Revenue: $1,000,000" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Expenses: $750,000" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Net Profit: $250,000" UPON PRINTER.
 
PRINT-OPERATIONAL-SUMMARY.
    DISPLAY "OPERATIONAL SUMMARY" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "===================" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Employees: 150" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Locations: 5" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Projects: 25" UPON PRINTER.
 
PRINT-CONCLUSIONS.
    DISPLAY "CONCLUSIONS" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "===========" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "The company performed well in 2024." UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Recommendations for 2025:" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "- Expand operations" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "- Increase marketing budget" UPON PRINTER.

Multi-section report using EJECT to separate different report sections.

Conditional Page Ejection

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IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. CONDITIONAL-EJECT.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-LINE-COUNT       PIC 9(3) VALUE 0.
01  WS-PAGE-NUMBER      PIC 9(3) VALUE 1.
01  WS-MAX-LINES        PIC 9(3) VALUE 55.
01  WS-RECORD-COUNT     PIC 9(5) VALUE 0.
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-PROCESS.
    * Print header
    PERFORM PRINT-PAGE-HEADER
    
    * Process records
    PERFORM PROCESS-RECORDS UNTIL WS-RECORD-COUNT > 1000
    
    STOP RUN.
 
PRINT-PAGE-HEADER.
    DISPLAY "CUSTOMER LISTING" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Page: " WS-PAGE-NUMBER UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Date: " FUNCTION CURRENT-DATE UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY " " UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Customer ID | Name | Balance" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "------------|------|--------" UPON PRINTER
    MOVE 0 TO WS-LINE-COUNT.
 
PROCESS-RECORDS.
    ADD 1 TO WS-RECORD-COUNT
    ADD 1 TO WS-LINE-COUNT
    
    * Print record (simulated)
    DISPLAY "CUST" WS-RECORD-COUNT " | Customer " WS-RECORD-COUNT " | $1000" UPON PRINTER
    
    * Check if page is full
    IF WS-LINE-COUNT >= WS-MAX-LINES
        EJECT
        ADD 1 TO WS-PAGE-NUMBER
        PERFORM PRINT-PAGE-HEADER
    END-IF
    
    * Check if we need a new page for new section
    IF WS-RECORD-COUNT = 500
        EJECT
        DISPLAY "MID-YEAR SUMMARY" UPON PRINTER
        DISPLAY "Records processed: " WS-RECORD-COUNT UPON PRINTER
        EJECT
        PERFORM PRINT-PAGE-HEADER
    END-IF.

Conditional page ejection based on line count and record processing.

Error Handling with EJECT

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IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. ERROR-HANDLING-EJECT.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-ERROR-COUNT      PIC 9(3) VALUE 0.
01  WS-SUCCESS-COUNT    PIC 9(3) VALUE 0.
01  WS-PAGE-NUMBER      PIC 9(3) VALUE 1.
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-PROCESS.
    * Print success report
    DISPLAY "SUCCESS REPORT" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Page: " WS-PAGE-NUMBER UPON PRINTER
    PERFORM PRINT-SUCCESS-DETAILS
    
    * Eject to error section if errors exist
    IF WS-ERROR-COUNT > 0
        EJECT
        DISPLAY "ERROR REPORT" UPON PRINTER
        DISPLAY "Page: " WS-PAGE-NUMBER UPON PRINTER
        PERFORM PRINT-ERROR-DETAILS
    END-IF
    
    * Eject to summary page
    EJECT
    DISPLAY "PROCESSING SUMMARY" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Successful operations: " WS-SUCCESS-COUNT UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Errors encountered: " WS-ERROR-COUNT UPON PRINTER
    
    STOP RUN.
 
PRINT-SUCCESS-DETAILS.
    DISPLAY "Successful operations:" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Operation 1: Completed" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Operation 2: Completed" UPON PRINTER
    ADD 2 TO WS-SUCCESS-COUNT.
 
PRINT-ERROR-DETAILS.
    DISPLAY "Error details:" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Error 1: File not found" UPON PRINTER
    DISPLAY "Error 2: Invalid data" UPON PRINTER
    ADD 2 TO WS-ERROR-COUNT.

Error handling using EJECT to separate success and error reports.

Best Practices and Considerations

Understanding best practices ensures proper page control and report formatting.

EJECT Best Practices

Use strategically - Eject only when necessary for formatting
Count lines - Track line count to avoid excessive page breaks
Plan layout - Design report structure before implementing EJECT
Test output - Verify EJECT behavior on target devices
Consider alternatives - Use ADVANCING PAGE when writing to files

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Pitfall	Problem	Solution
Excessive ejection	Too many blank pages	Use line counting
Wrong device	No effect on non-page devices	Check device capabilities
Poor timing	Breaks in wrong places	Plan page breaks carefully
Missing headers	Pages without identification	Print headers after EJECT
Inconsistent usage	Poor report formatting	Use consistent page control

Device Compatibility

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* Printer devices (most compatible)
EJECT                    * Works with most printers
 
* Terminal/console devices
EJECT                    * May clear screen or have no effect
 
* File output
EJECT                    * May insert form feed character in file
 
* Network printers
EJECT                    * Depends on printer driver
 
* Virtual devices
EJECT                    * Behavior varies by implementation

EJECT behavior varies depending on the output device and implementation.

EJECT Clause Quick Reference

Usage	Syntax	Example
Basic page break	EJECT	EJECT
After content	DISPLAY content; EJECT	DISPLAY "End"; EJECT
Conditional	IF condition EJECT END-IF	IF LINE-COUNT > 50 EJECT END-IF
Section separator	EJECT; DISPLAY new-section	EJECT; DISPLAY "NEW SECTION"
Report formatting	EJECT; PRINT-HEADER	EJECT; PERFORM PRINT-HEADER

Test Your Knowledge

1. What is the primary purpose of the EJECT clause in COBOL?

To eject files from memory
To eject a page or form feed in output
To eject data from variables
To eject programs from execution

2. Where is the EJECT clause typically used?

In the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION
In the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION
In the PROCEDURE DIVISION for output control
In the DATA DIVISION

3. What happens when EJECT is executed?

The program stops
A page break or form feed is sent to the output device
Data is deleted
A file is closed

4. Which output devices typically respond to EJECT?

Only printers
Only screens
Printers and other page-oriented devices
All devices

5. How does EJECT differ from ADVANCING PAGE?

They are the same thing
EJECT is for files, ADVANCING PAGE is for displays
EJECT is a standalone statement, ADVANCING PAGE is a clause
EJECT is deprecated, ADVANCING PAGE is modern

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Concepts

ADVANCING PAGE

ADVANCING PAGE clause for page control with WRITE statements.

WRITE Statement

WRITE statement for file output operations.

Report Writing

Report writing techniques and formatting.

Output Control

Output control and data movement operations.

Printer Control

Printer control and file processing techniques.

DISPLAY UPON END-EVALUATE

COBOL Tutorial

COBOL EJECT Clause - Quick Reference

Overview

Purpose and Usage

Page Ejection Concept

Syntax

Basic Syntax

EJECT vs ADVANCING PAGE

Form Feed Character

Practical Examples

Basic Report Generation

Multi-Section Report

Conditional Page Ejection

Error Handling with EJECT

Best Practices and Considerations

EJECT Best Practices

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Device Compatibility

EJECT Clause Quick Reference

Test Your Knowledge

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between EJECT and ADVANCING PAGE in COBOL?

How does EJECT work with different output devices?

When should you use EJECT in your COBOL programs?

What are the performance implications of using EJECT?

How do you handle EJECT in different COBOL implementations?

Related Concepts

ADVANCING PAGE

WRITE Statement

Report Writing

Output Control

Printer Control

Related Pages