Structured ANS Cobol

This book is an introductory course in COBOL for programmers on any type of system - mainframe, minicomputer, or PC. It begins with an introduction to computers and computer applications, then it teaches how to design, code, test and debug COBOL programs that prepare reports. It also teaches how to call subprograms, use COPY members, handle one-level tables, and read indexed files - all functions that are often required in report programs. Because most beginning programmers have more trouble with program structure and logic than they do with COBOL itself, this book places more emphasis on program design than any other COBOL text. This book also contains unique information on compiler-dependent code and gives specific coding examples for IBM mainframes using VS COBOL or VS COBOL II, Wang minicomputers, and PCs using Microsoft COBOL. It also covers both the 1974 and the 1985 standards, since both sets of standards are widely used.