COBOL - Include Statement

The INCLUDE statement inserts application code, including declarations and statements, into a source program.

Rules:

1. INCLUDE must specified in DATA DIVISION and PROCEDURE DIVISION.
   
   
2. INCLUDE should contain source language statements or any SQL statements.
   
   
3. Identifies a member to be included only in the configured include library.

Syntax:

INCLUDE [SQLCA / SQLDA / member-name]

Example: Include an SQL communications area

EXEC SQL
  INCLUDE SQLCA
END-EXEC; 

During the Pre-compilation process, INCLUDE statement replaces by the statements in member.

We will see another use of include.

The ++INCLUDE statement is used to include all of the data records of one source file in another source file at compilation time.

Syntax:

++INCLUDE member-name

Rules:

• ++INCLUDE must begin in column 8, must be in upper case and must be followed by one or more spaces.
  
  
• Text-name defines a unique external file-name which conforms to the rules for user-defined words.
  
  
• This special statement is not part of the COBOL language. It must, in its entirety, be contained on a single line and must be in upper case.
  
  
• member-name determines the COBOL source file to be included at this place in the source code.
  
  
• Any other text appearing on the line is treated as a comment.

Example:

Below example will explain about how the cobol code include will work.

INCLCODE.INCLUDE will include to the main program during the pre-compilation process. So program will be compiled as a single piece of code

Below example will explain about how the cobol code include will work.

MOVE SPACES TO NAME.
ACCEPT NAME.

COBOL Main Program:

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. COBINCLD.

ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.

DATA DIVISION.
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
01 NAME PIC X(10) VALUE SPACES.

PROCEDURE DIVISION.

++INCLUDE INCLCODE 

    DISPLAY 'ENTERED NAME : ' NAME.
    STOP RUN.

This is simple COBOL program. you can add any number of line in include library member.

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