Course Description

COBOL programming language and techniques for use; report generation; table handling; sorting; sequential and random-access data files; debugging techniques; COBOL standards. Prerequisite: Grade of "C" or better in CS 1010 or CS 2010. Extra fee.

Course Syllabus

1. Introduction to COBOL
   1. COBOL program organization (the four divisions)
   2. Numeric data processing
   3. Defining and moving data
   4. Data organization
2. Decision statements (IF and EVALUATE)
3. Repetition statements (PERFORM statement in several formats)
   1. Reporting
   2. Editing output data
   3. Standard report output (headings, paging)
   4. Control break logic (subtotals, final totals, etc.)
   5. Report Writer
   6. Screen I-O
4. One-level and two-level tables
5. File organization
   1. Sequential files
   2. Indexed files (ISAM and VSAM)
   3. Direct access (relative) files
6. File operations
   1. SORT
   2. MERGE
   3. Updating
7. Miscellaneous topics
   1. Subprograms
   2. COPY statement and COPY libraries
   3. STRING, UNSTRING, INSPECT statements
   4. USAGE clause
   5. Reference modification
   6. Variable length records
   7. COBOL-74 vs COBOL-85 standards

Typical program assignments

1. Reading/writing records from file, arithmetic statements
2. IF/EVALUATE, complete report format (headings, paging, date)
3. Tables
4. Report Writer
5. Indexed files