COBOL Tutorials: Master the Art of Classic Programming

On our COBOL tutorials page, you will discover an educational resource designed to guide you through the complexities and wonders of this classic programming language. From fundamental concepts to advanced techniques, each tutorial is carefully crafted to provide a practical and deep understanding of COBOL. Get ready to expand your skills and solidify your mastery in the art of COBOL programming!

Basic Guides on COBOL Programming

Welcome to our section “Basic Guides on COBOL Programming,” designed to provide a solid and accessible introduction to the fascinating world of COBOL. Whether you are taking your first steps in programming or looking to consolidate your knowledge, here you will find carefully crafted educational resources to help you understand the essential fundamentals of this classic language.

Basic Structure of a COBOL Program

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. MyProgram.
AUTHOR. YourName.
DATE-WRITTEN. DD/MM/YYYY.

ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
CONFIGURATION SECTION.
SOURCE-COMPUTER. IBM-PC.

DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 Variable-1 PIC 9(5).
01 Variable-2 PIC X(20).

PROCEDURE DIVISION.
Program-Start.
    DISPLAY 'Hello, World!'.
    ACCEPT Variable-1 FROM CONSOLE.
    MOVE 'Welcome' TO Variable-2.
    DISPLAY 'Number entered: ' Variable-1.
    DISPLAY 'Message: ' Variable-2.
Program-End.

STOP RUN.

COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) is a programming language primarily designed for commercial and business applications. Below, a basic structure of a COBOL program is provided, along with an explanation of its main sections:

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PERFORM VARYING y PERFORM UNTIL

Loops play a crucial role in program flow control. With PERFORM VARYING and PERFORM UNTIL, we can manage the main algorithms of business programs.

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. LoopExample.
AUTHOR. YourName.
DATE-WRITTEN. DD/MM/YYYY.

DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 Counter PIC 9(3) VALUE 1.

PROCEDURE DIVISION.
    DISPLAY 'Start of loop'.

    PERFORM VARYING Counter FROM 1 BY 1 UNTIL Counter > 5
        DISPLAY 'Iteration ' Counter
    END-PERFORM.

    DISPLAY 'End of loop'.
    STOP RUN.

In COBOL, the PERFORM VARYING loop is used to carry out a series of repetitive actions, where a control variable is incremented or decremented with each iteration.

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How to Run a COBOL Program

OneCompiler is an online compiler that allows users to write, compile, and run COBOL programs directly from their web browser, without the need to install a local development environment on their computer.

OneCompiler Cobol
Example de OneCompiler

Features of OneCompiler

Here are some common features of online compilers:

  • Quick Access: You can access the platform from any browser without the need to install additional software on your device.
  • User-Friendly Interface: These platforms typically provide a simple code editor directly in the browser, so you can write your COBOL code.
  • Online Compilation: After writing your program, you can compile it directly in the browser, and the platform will provide the compiler output and possibly an error report if any issues occur.
  • Online Execution: In addition to compiling, you can likely also run your program directly on the online platform. This can be helpful for quickly testing your code.

It is important to keep a few considerations in mind when using online compilers:

  • Privacy and Security: Be aware of the nature of the online platform and whether you feel comfortable writing and running your code in an external environment.
  • Limitations: There may be limitations in terms of available resources, supporting libraries, and other features that you might have when using a more complete local COBOL development environment.
  • Storage: Be mindful of where your programs and temporary data are stored, as some online compilers may not guarantee long-term persistence of your files.

In general, these platforms are useful for simple tasks, quick testing, or for those learning COBOL who do not want to set up a full development environment on their own machines. However, for more complex or professional development, a local setup might be necessary.