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COBOL Tutorial

SKIP2 - Insert Two Blank Lines

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What is SKIP2? When to use it?

SKIP2 creates a stronger visual break—two blank lines—between major sections such as report chapters, company divisions, or monthly subtotals.

COBOL Implementation

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WRITE PRINT-REC AFTER ADVANCING 2 LINES

Equivalent to adding two blank lines before the next record is printed.

Guard near page end

cobol
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IF LINE-COUNTER > PAGE-LIMIT - 2
    WRITE PRINT-REC AFTER ADVANCING PAGE
END-IF
WRITE PRINT-REC AFTER ADVANCING 2 LINES

Report Writer alternative

cobol
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01 BLANK-LINE TYPE DETAIL.
   05 FILLER PIC X.
...
GENERATE BLANK-LINE
GENERATE BLANK-LINE   *> SKIP2 via two blank details

Non-Code Scenarios

  • Separate one customer’s block from the next with two blank lines
  • Before a grand total at the end of a page

Best Practices and Mistakes

Best Practices

  • Use SKIP2 sparingly for major breaks
  • Coordinate with page limits to avoid widows/orphans

Common Mistakes

MistakeProblemFix
Overuse of SKIP2Wasted spaceAdopt spacing guidelines
No page-guardBreaks sections across pagesCheck LINE-COUNTER

Quick Reference

ActionSyntaxExample
Two blank linesWRITE ... AFTER ADVANCING 2 LINESWRITE PRINT-REC AFTER ADVANCING 2 LINES
GuardIF LINE-COUNTER > PAGE-LIMIT - 2Advance PAGE first

Test Your Knowledge

1. COBOL equivalent of SKIP2?

  • WRITE AFTER ADVANCING 2 LINES
  • DISPLAY AT 2,1
  • ACCEPT WITH UPDATE
  • EVALUATE

2. What should you check before SKIP2?

  • Compiler version
  • Available lines remaining on page
  • Dataset label
  • Timezone

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Concepts

REPORT-WRITER

Declarative layouts with groups.

ADVANCING PAGE

Manual page and line advancing.

LINE-COUNTER

Track current line.

Related Pages

SKIP1SKIP3