User:SemperBlotto/COBOL

This appendix contains lists of reserved words, statements, functions, commands, and similar terminology used in COBOL programs, and whose presence in Wiktionary is not universally accepted.

Note: in older versions of COBOL, all terms are written in capital letters.


 * identification division
 * program-id - specifies the external name of the program
 * environment division
 * configuration section
 * source-computer - used only as a comment
 * object-computer - specifies the computer architecture that the compiled code will run on
 * input-output section
 * file-control - associates a file with an external medium
 * select - specifies the files logical name
 * assign - specifies a reference to its external name
 * organization - specifies that the file is either sequential or indexed
 * data division
 * file section
 * working-storage section
 * linkage section
 * procedure division
 * accept - used to read data from the operator's keyboard (or similar device)
 * add - arithmetic operator used to sum two numeric operands and store the result
 * alter - changes the target location of a go to statement
 * call - used to pass control temporarily to a subroutine
 * close - closes an external file after use
 * commit - makes changes to a database permanent
 * compute - evaluates an arithmetical expression and stores the result
 * continue - part of an if statement that specifies no action; a synonym of next sentence
 * copy - used at compile time to copy code from an external template
 * date - returns the current date in a variety of formats
 * delete - removes a record from an indexed file
 * display - writes text to the operator's console or to a printer etc
 * divide - arithmetic division operator
 * else - part of the if construction
 * entry - establishes an entry point of a called subroutine
 * evaluate - a multi-condition case statement
 * exhibit - a form of display statement
 * exit - returns control from a called subroutine
 * function - describes a function (that can be called)
 * goback - equivalent to exit in a subroutine or to stop in a main program
 * if - establishes conditional programming sequences
 * initialize - sets data fields to specified values
 * inspect - a string function that tallies or replaces characters
 * merge - merges two files according to key values
 * move - a general-purpose assignment statement
 * multiply - arithmetic multiplication operator
 * open - opens an external file for use
 * perform - transfers control temporarily to a named part of the same program
 * read - transfers a record from an external file to an area in the data division
 * return - transfers control back from a sort or merge statement
 * rewrite - replaces a record in an external file
 * rollback - cancels uncommited changes made to a database
 * search - searches a table based on a specified index key
 * set - assignes a value to an index
 * sort - sorts the records of one or more external files
 * start - positions an indexed file for subsequent data retrieval
 * stop - halts program execution
 * subtract - arithmetic subtraction operator
 * unstring - separates data into multiple fields
 * write - writes a logical record to a file