COBOL Programming Part 2 - Advanced Level Training

This course is the essential second part of the definitive introduction to COBOL programming that starts with the course 'COBOL Programming Part 1 - Foundation Level'. Introducing programmers with some experience to the more advanced features of COBOL, this course completes the lessons on how to write new programs and how to maintain existing ones.<br>As attendees will be writing testing and debugging actual programs, the use of COBOL logic will be reinforced during this course. The course is taught using a combination of formal classroom sessions and practical exercises, and includes realistic case studies<br><br>As well as public presentations, this course is available for one-company, on-site presentations. When run exclusively for one organisation ,the case studies can be customised to reflect the client's particular environment and work-load.

The ability to use TSO/ISPF and an understanding of JCL is expected, along with prior attendance on the course COBOL Programming Part 1 - Foundation Level or equivalent experience.

• code and call COBOL subprograms
• define and access tables using either subscripts or indexes
• use the COBOL internal sort facility
• define and use VSAM files.

COBOL Revision

Table Handling

PERFORM...VARYING and TABLES; two and three dimensional tables; indexed tables: SET, PERFORM... VARYING with indexes, SEARCH; INITIALISING TABLES; OCCURS DEPENDING ON; complex ODO.

Subprograms

CALL statement; LINKAGE SECTION; ENTRY; GOBACK; EXIT PROGRAM; CANCEL; subprogram examples; dynamic CALLs.

VSAM File Handling

RELATIVE and INDEXED FILE-CONTROL entries; VSAM status keys and return codes; READ; WRITE; START; REWRITE; DELETE.

The SORT Facility

SORT FILE description entry; determining SORT success; SORT verb; RELEASE; RETURN.

Miscellaneous COBOL Statements

SET; INSPECT; STRING; UNSTRING; SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph; CURRENCY SIGN and DECIMAL POINT clauses; CLASS clause.