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COBOL Tutorial

COBOL SYMBOL - Quick Reference

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Overview

The SYMBOL keyword in COBOL is used to define symbolic constants and data representations. It allows programmers to assign meaningful names to values, making code more readable and maintainable.

Purpose and Usage

  • Symbolic constants - Define named constants for values
  • Special character representation - Represent special characters
  • System value representation - Represent system values
  • Data value representation - Represent specific data values
  • Configuration symbols - Define program configuration values

Syntax and Usage

SYMBOL is defined in the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph of the CONFIGURATION SECTION and can be referenced throughout the program.

Basic SYMBOL Syntax

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* Basic SYMBOL syntax examples
       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. SYMBOL-DEMO.
       
       ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
       CONFIGURATION SECTION.
       SPECIAL-NAMES.
           SYMBOLIC CONSTANTS
               MAX-RECORDS IS 1000
               MIN-BALANCE IS 0
               DEFAULT-CURRENCY IS "USD"
               SYSTEM-DATE-FORMAT IS "YYYY-MM-DD"
               ERROR-CODE-SUCCESS IS 0
               ERROR-CODE-FAILURE IS 1
           SYMBOLIC CHARACTERS
               PLUS-SIGN IS "+"
               MINUS-SIGN IS "-"
               DECIMAL-POINT IS "."
               COMMA-SEPARATOR IS ","
           SYMBOLIC VALUES
               TRUE-VALUE IS "Y"
               FALSE-VALUE IS "N"
               BLANK-VALUE IS SPACE
               ZERO-VALUE IS "0".

Basic SYMBOL usage for defining symbolic constants and values.

Complete SYMBOL Program Example

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* Complete COBOL program demonstrating SYMBOL usage
       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. SYMBOL-EXAMPLE.
       
       ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
       CONFIGURATION SECTION.
       SPECIAL-NAMES.
           SYMBOLIC CONSTANTS
               MAX-CUSTOMERS IS 10000
               MIN-ACCOUNT-BALANCE IS 0
               DEFAULT-INTEREST-RATE IS 0.05
               SYSTEM-TIMEOUT IS 30
               SUCCESS-STATUS IS "SUCCESS"
               ERROR-STATUS IS "ERROR"
           SYMBOLIC CHARACTERS
               CURRENCY-SYMBOL IS "$"
               PERCENT-SYMBOL IS "%"
               ASTERISK-SYMBOL IS "*"
               HASH-SYMBOL IS "#"
           SYMBOLIC VALUES
               ACTIVE-STATUS IS "A"
               INACTIVE-STATUS IS "I"
               PENDING-STATUS IS "P"
               COMPLETED-STATUS IS "C".
       
       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  PROGRAM-CONSTANTS.
           05  MAX-RECORDS-PER-BATCH PIC 9(4) VALUE MAX-CUSTOMERS.
           05  MIN-BALANCE-REQUIRED  PIC 9(8)V99 VALUE MIN-ACCOUNT-BALANCE.
           05  DEFAULT-RATE         PIC 9(3)V99 VALUE DEFAULT-INTEREST-RATE.
       
       01  STATUS-VALUES.
           05  CUSTOMER-STATUS      PIC X.
           05  TRANSACTION-STATUS   PIC X(10).
       
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       MAIN-LOGIC.
           PERFORM INITIALIZE-PROGRAM
           PERFORM PROCESS-CUSTOMER-DATA
           PERFORM DISPLAY-RESULTS
           STOP RUN.
       
       INITIALIZE-PROGRAM.
           DISPLAY "Program initialized with symbolic constants"
           DISPLAY "Max customers: " MAX-CUSTOMERS
           DISPLAY "Min balance: " MIN-ACCOUNT-BALANCE
           DISPLAY "Default rate: " DEFAULT-INTEREST-RATE.
       
       PROCESS-CUSTOMER-DATA.
           MOVE ACTIVE-STATUS TO CUSTOMER-STATUS
           MOVE SUCCESS-STATUS TO TRANSACTION-STATUS
           DISPLAY "Customer status: " CUSTOMER-STATUS
           DISPLAY "Transaction status: " TRANSACTION-STATUS.
       
       DISPLAY-RESULTS.
           DISPLAY "=== SYMBOL USAGE RESULTS ==="
           DISPLAY "Currency symbol: " CURRENCY-SYMBOL
           DISPLAY "Percent symbol: " PERCENT-SYMBOL
           DISPLAY "Active status: " ACTIVE-STATUS
           DISPLAY "Success status: " SUCCESS-STATUS.

The program demonstrates comprehensive SYMBOL usage for constants and values.

Common Use Cases

SYMBOL is essential in various scenarios where symbolic constants, special characters, and configuration values are needed.

Configuration and Constants

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* Configuration and constants using SYMBOL
       ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
       CONFIGURATION SECTION.
       SPECIAL-NAMES.
           SYMBOLIC CONSTANTS
               DATABASE-TIMEOUT IS 60
               FILE-BUFFER-SIZE IS 4096
               MAX-RETRY-ATTEMPTS IS 3
               LOG-LEVEL-INFO IS 1
               LOG-LEVEL-WARNING IS 2
               LOG-LEVEL-ERROR IS 3
           SYMBOLIC VALUES
               DATABASE-STATUS-OK IS "OK"
               DATABASE-STATUS-ERROR IS "ERROR"
               FILE-STATUS-OPEN IS "OPEN"
               FILE-STATUS-CLOSED IS "CLOSED".

Configuration and constants use SYMBOL for program settings and status values.

Special Character Representation

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* Special character representation using SYMBOL
       ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
       CONFIGURATION SECTION.
       SPECIAL-NAMES.
           SYMBOLIC CHARACTERS
               TAB-CHARACTER IS X"09"
               NEWLINE-CHARACTER IS X"0A"
               CARRIAGE-RETURN IS X"0D"
               ESCAPE-CHARACTER IS X"1B"
               NULL-CHARACTER IS X"00"
               BACKSPACE-CHARACTER IS X"08"
           SYMBOLIC VALUES
               YES-RESPONSE IS "Y"
               NO-RESPONSE IS "N"
               UNKNOWN-RESPONSE IS "U".

Special character representation uses SYMBOL for control characters and responses.

Best Practices and Tips

Following these best practices ensures effective use of SYMBOL in COBOL applications for better maintainability.

SYMBOL Best Practices

  • Use descriptive names - Choose names that clearly indicate the purpose
  • Group related symbols - Organize symbols by category or function
  • Document symbol meanings - Add comments explaining symbol purposes
  • Use consistent naming - Follow consistent naming conventions
  • Avoid hard-coded values - Use symbols instead of literal values
  • Centralize symbol definitions - Keep all symbols in one location

SYMBOL Quick Reference

AspectDescriptionExample
LocationSPECIAL-NAMES paragraphCONFIGURATION SECTION
Basic SyntaxSYMBOLIC CONSTANTS name IS valueMAX-RECORDS IS 1000
Character SymbolsSYMBOLIC CHARACTERS name IS valuePLUS-SIGN IS "+"
Value SymbolsSYMBOLIC VALUES name IS valueTRUE-VALUE IS "Y"
UsageReference by name in programMOVE MAX-RECORDS TO WS-COUNTER

Test Your Knowledge

1. What is the primary purpose of SYMBOL in COBOL?

  • To define arithmetic operations
  • To represent symbolic constants and data values
  • To control file operations
  • To define data types

2. Where is SYMBOL typically defined in a COBOL program?

  • In the DATA DIVISION for data definitions
  • In the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph of the CONFIGURATION SECTION
  • In the PROCEDURE DIVISION for program logic
  • In the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION

3. What types of values can SYMBOL represent?

  • Only numeric values
  • Only alphabetic values
  • Various data values including constants, special characters, and system values
  • Only file names

4. How does SYMBOL improve program maintainability?

  • By reducing program size
  • By providing symbolic names for constants and values, making code more readable and maintainable
  • By increasing execution speed
  • By reducing memory usage

5. Which of the following is a common use of SYMBOL?

  • File sorting operations
  • Defining symbolic constants, representing special values, and improving code readability
  • Database operations
  • Mathematical calculations

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Concepts

Configuration Section

Understanding the configuration section in COBOL.

Special Names

Working with special names in COBOL.

Constants

Working with constants in COBOL.

Program Configuration

Configuring COBOL programs.

Data Representation

Understanding data representation in COBOL.

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