COBOL STANDARD Clause - Quick Reference

The STANDARD clause in COBOL is used to specify the COBOL standard compliance level and available features. It allows you to control which COBOL language features are available and ensure compatibility with specific COBOL standards.

Primary Use

Specify COBOL standard compliance level

Division

ENVIRONMENT DIVISION

Section

CONFIGURATION SECTION

Status

Optional clause

Overview

The STANDARD clause is part of the CONFIGURATION SECTION in the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION. It specifies which COBOL standard features and compliance level your program should follow. This includes STANDARD-1 (COBOL 85) and STANDARD-2 (COBOL 2002), each providing different sets of language features and capabilities.

Syntax

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ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
CONFIGURATION SECTION.
STANDARD-1.
* OR
STANDARD-2.
 
* Examples:
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
CONFIGURATION SECTION.
STANDARD-1.
 
* OR for newer features:
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
CONFIGURATION SECTION.
STANDARD-2.

Practical Examples

Basic STANDARD-1 Usage

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* Basic STANDARD-1 clause example (COBOL 85)
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. STANDARD-1-EXAMPLE.
 
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
CONFIGURATION SECTION.
STANDARD-1.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-COUNTER           PIC 9(3) VALUE ZERO.
01  WS-RESULT            PIC 9(5).
01  WS-MESSAGE           PIC X(50) VALUE "Using COBOL 85 Standard".
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-LOGIC.
    DISPLAY WS-MESSAGE
    DISPLAY "Standard: COBOL 85 (STANDARD-1)"
    
    * Perform some calculations using COBOL 85 features
    PERFORM VARYING WS-COUNTER FROM 1 BY 1 UNTIL WS-COUNTER > 5
        COMPUTE WS-RESULT = WS-COUNTER * 10
        DISPLAY "Counter: " WS-COUNTER " Result: " WS-RESULT
    END-PERFORM
    
    DISPLAY "STANDARD-1 processing completed"
    STOP RUN.

Explanation: This example demonstrates basic usage of the STANDARD-1 clause. The program specifies COBOL 85 compliance, which provides the standard COBOL 85 language features. This includes basic arithmetic operations, PERFORM loops, and standard COBOL syntax. STANDARD-1 ensures compatibility with COBOL 85 implementations and restricts the program to features available in that standard.

STANDARD-2 with Advanced Features

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* STANDARD-2 clause example (COBOL 2002)
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. STANDARD-2-EXAMPLE.
 
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
CONFIGURATION SECTION.
STANDARD-2.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-COUNTER           PIC 9(3) VALUE ZERO.
01  WS-RESULT            PIC 9(5).
01  WS-MESSAGE           PIC X(50) VALUE "Using COBOL 2002 Standard".
01  WS-ARRAY             PIC 9(3) OCCURS 10 TIMES.
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-LOGIC.
    DISPLAY WS-MESSAGE
    DISPLAY "Standard: COBOL 2002 (STANDARD-2)"
    
    * Use COBOL 2002 features like enhanced PERFORM
    PERFORM VARYING WS-COUNTER FROM 1 BY 1 UNTIL WS-COUNTER > 10
        MOVE WS-COUNTER TO WS-ARRAY(WS-COUNTER)
        COMPUTE WS-RESULT = WS-COUNTER * WS-COUNTER
        DISPLAY "Index: " WS-COUNTER " Array Value: " WS-ARRAY(WS-COUNTER) " Square: " WS-RESULT
    END-PERFORM
    
    * Use COBOL 2002 string functions
    DISPLAY "String length of message: " FUNCTION LENGTH(WS-MESSAGE)
    
    DISPLAY "STANDARD-2 processing completed"
    STOP RUN.

Explanation: This example shows STANDARD-2 usage with COBOL 2002 features. STANDARD-2 enables additional language features beyond COBOL 85, including enhanced PERFORM statements, built-in functions like FUNCTION LENGTH, improved array handling, and other COBOL 2002 capabilities. This provides more modern COBOL features while maintaining backward compatibility where possible.

Standard Compliance Checking

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* Standard compliance checking example
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. STANDARD-COMPLIANCE-EXAMPLE.
 
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
CONFIGURATION SECTION.
STANDARD-1.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-STANDARD-LEVEL    PIC X(10) VALUE "STANDARD-1".
01  WS-FEATURE-STATUS    PIC X(20).
01  WS-COMPLIANCE-CHECK  PIC X(1) VALUE 'Y'.
 
01  WS-FEATURES.
    05  WS-ENHANCED-PERFORM    PIC X(1) VALUE 'N'.
    05  WS-BUILTIN-FUNCTIONS   PIC X(1) VALUE 'N'.
    05  WS-ADVANCED-ARRAYS     PIC X(1) VALUE 'N'.
    05  WS-EXCEPTION-HANDLING  PIC X(1) VALUE 'N'.
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-LOGIC.
    DISPLAY "COBOL Standard Compliance Check"
    DISPLAY "Standard Level: " WS-STANDARD-LEVEL
    
    * Check available features based on standard
    PERFORM CHECK-STANDARD-FEATURES
    
    * Display feature availability
    DISPLAY "Feature Availability:"
    DISPLAY "Enhanced PERFORM: " WS-ENHANCED-PERFORM
    DISPLAY "Built-in Functions: " WS-BUILTIN-FUNCTIONS
    DISPLAY "Advanced Arrays: " WS-ADVANCED-ARRAYS
    DISPLAY "Exception Handling: " WS-EXCEPTION-HANDLING
    
    IF WS-COMPLIANCE-CHECK = 'Y'
        DISPLAY "Program is compliant with " WS-STANDARD-LEVEL
    ELSE
        DISPLAY "Compliance issues detected"
    END-IF
    
    STOP RUN.
 
CHECK-STANDARD-FEATURES.
    * Check which features are available in STANDARD-1
    IF WS-STANDARD-LEVEL = "STANDARD-1"
        MOVE 'N' TO WS-ENHANCED-PERFORM
        MOVE 'N' TO WS-BUILTIN-FUNCTIONS
        MOVE 'N' TO WS-ADVANCED-ARRAYS
        MOVE 'N' TO WS-EXCEPTION-HANDLING
        MOVE "COBOL 85 Features Only" TO WS-FEATURE-STATUS
    ELSE
        MOVE 'Y' TO WS-ENHANCED-PERFORM
        MOVE 'Y' TO WS-BUILTIN-FUNCTIONS
        MOVE 'Y' TO WS-ADVANCED-ARRAYS
        MOVE 'Y' TO WS-EXCEPTION-HANDLING
        MOVE "COBOL 2002 Features" TO WS-FEATURE-STATUS
    END-IF
    
    DISPLAY "Feature Status: " WS-FEATURE-STATUS.

Explanation: This example demonstrates how to check standard compliance and feature availability. The program uses STANDARD-1 and includes logic to determine which COBOL features are available based on the specified standard. This is useful for ensuring program compatibility and understanding which language constructs can be used safely. The program checks for features like enhanced PERFORM statements, built-in functions, advanced array handling, and exception handling.

Portability and Migration Example

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* Portability and migration example
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. PORTABILITY-EXAMPLE.
 
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
CONFIGURATION SECTION.
* Use STANDARD-1 for maximum portability
STANDARD-1.
 
DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01  WS-PORTABILITY-INFO.
    05  WS-TARGET-STANDARD    PIC X(10) VALUE "STANDARD-1".
    05  WS-MIGRATION-STATUS   PIC X(1) VALUE 'P'.
        * P = Portable, N = Needs Migration, C = Compatible
    05  WS-COMPATIBILITY      PIC X(1) VALUE 'Y'.
 
01  WS-FEATURE-USAGE.
    05  WS-USES-ENHANCED-PERFORM    PIC X(1) VALUE 'N'.
    05  WS-USES-BUILTIN-FUNCTIONS   PIC X(1) VALUE 'N'.
    05  WS-USES-ADVANCED-ARRAYS     PIC X(1) VALUE 'N'.
 
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
MAIN-LOGIC.
    DISPLAY "COBOL Portability Analysis"
    DISPLAY "Target Standard: " WS-TARGET-STANDARD
    
    * Analyze feature usage for portability
    PERFORM ANALYZE-PORTABILITY
    
    * Display portability results
    DISPLAY "Portability Analysis Results:"
    DISPLAY "Migration Status: " WS-MIGRATION-STATUS
    DISPLAY "Compatibility: " WS-COMPATIBILITY
    DISPLAY "Enhanced PERFORM Usage: " WS-USES-ENHANCED-PERFORM
    DISPLAY "Built-in Functions Usage: " WS-USES-BUILTIN-FUNCTIONS
    DISPLAY "Advanced Arrays Usage: " WS-USES-ADVANCED-ARRAYS
    
    IF WS-COMPATIBILITY = 'Y'
        DISPLAY "Program is portable across COBOL implementations"
    ELSE
        DISPLAY "Program may require modifications for portability"
    END-IF
    
    STOP RUN.
 
ANALYZE-PORTABILITY.
    * Check if program uses STANDARD-2 features
    IF WS-USES-ENHANCED-PERFORM = 'Y' OR
       WS-USES-BUILTIN-FUNCTIONS = 'Y' OR
       WS-USES-ADVANCED-ARRAYS = 'Y'
        MOVE 'N' TO WS-MIGRATION-STATUS
        MOVE 'N' TO WS-COMPATIBILITY
        DISPLAY "Program uses STANDARD-2 features - migration required"
    ELSE
        MOVE 'P' TO WS-MIGRATION-STATUS
        MOVE 'Y' TO WS-COMPATIBILITY
        DISPLAY "Program uses only STANDARD-1 features - portable"
    END-IF.

Explanation: This example shows how to analyze program portability based on the STANDARD clause. The program uses STANDARD-1 for maximum portability and includes logic to check if any STANDARD-2 features are being used. This is important for programs that need to run on different COBOL implementations or when migrating between systems. The analysis helps determine if the program will be compatible with different COBOL standards and implementations.

Best Practices and Considerations

Important Considerations

STANDARD clause is optional and defaults to STANDARD-1
Use STANDARD-1 for maximum portability
Use STANDARD-2 for access to newer COBOL features
Consider target system compatibility when choosing standard
Document standard requirements for program maintenance

Advantages

Controls available COBOL language features
Ensures compatibility with specific standards
Improves program portability
Enables access to newer COBOL features
Provides clear compliance documentation

Limitations

Optional clause that may be omitted
May restrict access to newer features
Requires understanding of standard differences
May not be supported in all implementations
Can affect program functionality

Best Practices

• Use STANDARD-1 for maximum portability
• Use STANDARD-2 when newer features are needed
• Document standard requirements clearly
• Test compatibility with target systems
• Consider migration implications

Test Your Knowledge

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

To define program variables
To specify standard features and compliance levels
To define file names
To specify data types

2. In which COBOL division is the STANDARD clause typically used?

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION
DATA DIVISION
PROCEDURE DIVISION

3. What are the common values for the STANDARD clause?

STANDARD-1 and STANDARD-2
STANDARD-1, STANDARD-2, and STANDARD-3
STANDARD-1 only
STANDARD-2 only

4. What is the difference between STANDARD-1 and STANDARD-2?

They are the same thing
STANDARD-1 is COBOL 85, STANDARD-2 is COBOL 2002 with additional features
STANDARD-1 is newer than STANDARD-2
They cannot be used together

5. Can the STANDARD clause be omitted from a COBOL program?

No, it is required
Yes, it is optional and defaults to STANDARD-1
No, it is mandatory
Only in some implementations

COBOL Tutorial

COBOL STANDARD Clause - Quick Reference

Primary Use

Division

Section

Status

Overview

Syntax

Practical Examples

Basic STANDARD-1 Usage

STANDARD-2 with Advanced Features

Standard Compliance Checking

Portability and Migration Example

Best Practices and Considerations

Important Considerations

Advantages

Limitations

Best Practices

Test Your Knowledge

Related Concepts

ENVIRONMENT DIVISION

CONFIGURATION SECTION

STANDARD-1

STANDARD-2

Program Structure

Related Pages

COBOL Tutorial

COBOL STANDARD Clause - Quick Reference

Primary Use

Division

Section

Status

Overview

Syntax

Practical Examples

Basic STANDARD-1 Usage

STANDARD-2 with Advanced Features

Standard Compliance Checking

Portability and Migration Example

Best Practices and Considerations

Important Considerations

Advantages

Limitations

Best Practices

Test Your Knowledge

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Concepts

ENVIRONMENT DIVISION

CONFIGURATION SECTION

STANDARD-1

STANDARD-2

Program Structure

Related Pages