COBOL - Program Structure

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• COBOL programs are made up of familiar constructs such as paragraphs, sentences, statements, and clauses.
  
  
• These constructs, in turn contain elements such as words, names, verbs, and symbols.
  
  
• The hierarchy of a COBOL program is shown in the following diagram.
  
  
  
  
• Division is a block of code, usually containing one or more sections:
  • It starts where the division name is encountered.
    
    
  • It ends with the beginning of the next division or with the end of the program text.
  
  
• A COBOL program is structured to have four divisions at a high level:

  1. Identification Division

  2. Environment Division

  3. Data Division

  4. Procedure Division

  
  
• Clauses and Statements
  
  Clauses: Written in Environment and Data Divisions: This specifies an attribute of an entry. A series of clauses, ending with period, is defined as an entry.
  
  Statements: Written in Procedure Division: Specify an action to be taken by the object program. A series of statements, ending with a period, is defined as a sentence.

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