Structured COBOL Programming

Duration:   5 days

Participants:   Application programmers and developers.

Objectives:   Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to: -  Take maximum advantage of COBOL II's structured features to develop easy-to-maintain, comprehensible programs. -  Use tools such as functional decomposition (hierarchy charts/action diagrams) and pseudocode to analyze and model the logic of a program. -  Implement a structured program using top-down modular design and the fundamental logic structures. -  Lead and participate in peer reviews in the form of structured walkthroughs.

Overview:   This course takes you from design to finished code focusing on structure in every step of the process from structured design through structured coding and testing, including the use of TSO structured facilities. In the workshops, you design, code, test, and debug a variety of programs that use logic structures fundamental to business applications. If students are making a transition from OS/VS COBOL to COBOL II and also need to strengthen their structured programming skills, we can meet their needs by combining this course with our COBOL II Differences workshop.

Prerequisites:   COBOL or COBOL II programming experience is required.

Format:   Lecture and discussion with extensive hands-on exercises.

Topic Outline:   -  Introduction to Structured Programming Logic Tools         Benefits of standard logic tools         Team approach to programming         Position in the structured design life cycle         The tools              Functional decomposition              Pseudocode              Structured walkthrough -  Implementing a Read-Process-Write Program         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Coding the program         Differences between COBOL and COBOL II              In-line vs separate PERFORMs              Placement of "priming" READs              Avoiding periods              Setting 88-level switches -  Understanding and Using Structured Logic Tools         Modules              Modular independence              Module information              Single entry/exit         Functional decomposition - hierarchy charts              Top-down design              Coupling and cohesion              Concept and uses              Rules         Pseudocode              Basic control structures                 Sequence                 Selection (IF-THEN-ELSE and DO CASE)                 Iteration (DO WHILE and PERFORM UNTIL)              HIPO (Hierarchical Input-Process-Output) Charts                 Flow of data              Harmful effects of GOTOs         Structured walkthrough              Objectives and purpose              Role of the participants              Developing effective communication         Code implementation              Self-documenting code              Naming conventions              Indentation              Literals with special meaning              Use of periods -  Implementing a Report Printing Module         Providing for headers, footers, and line counters         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Review of sample program         Differences between COBOL and COBOL II -  Implementing Data Validation and Sequence Check Routines         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Structured walkthrough         Review of sample program         Differences between COBOL and COBOL II              Nested IFs vs EVALUATE              TRANSLATE vs INSPECT              NEXT SENTENCE vs CONTINUE              Expanded use of 88 levels -  Implementing One-Level Control Break         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Structured walkthrough         Coding the program         Differences between COBOL and COBOL II              Placement of "re-initializing" code -  Implementing Two-Level Control Break         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Structured walkthrough         Coding the program         Differences between COBOL and COBOL II              Placement of "re-initializing" code -  Implementing Control Break with Three or More Levels         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode -  Implementing a Transaction Master Update         Comparison to file merge         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Structured walkthrough         Coding the program -  Creating and Processing Tables         Definition in DATA DIVISION         One-dimensional tables         PERFORM formats: COBOL vs COBOL II         Comparison of indexing and subscripting              Location in main storage              Initializing and altering values              Differences in processing efficiency              Debugging differences         Techniques to initialize tables              REDEFINES              VALUE on group item              Calculate values              Load values from file              Initializing tables at:                 Compile time                 Execution time         Processing tables              One occurrence, section of table, entire table              Serial search              Binary search         Handling out-of-bounds situations -  Implementing One-Dimensional Table Processing         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Structured walkthrough         Coding the program         Differences between COBOL and COBOL II              Use of SET -  Processing Variable-Length and Large Tables         Definition in DATA DIVISION         Variable-length tables              Concept              Defining the length (OCCURS . . . DEPENDING ON . . .)              Program logic to load and process table              Processing V, VB, and VBS records         Large table handling techniques              Table limitations in COBOL and COBOL II              Breaking up a table              Disk tables         USAGE IS INDEXED -  Implementing One-Dimensional Variable-Length Table Processing         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Structured walkthrough         Coding the program         Differences between COBOL and COBOL II -  Implementing Two-Dimensional Table Processing         Multidimensional tables              Definition in DATA DIVISION              Processing considerations         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Structured walkthrough         Coding the program -  Implementing Mixed One- and Two-Dimensional Table Processing         Combining one, two, and three dimensions in a table              Definition in DATA DIVISION              Processing considerations         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Structured walkthrough         Coding the program         Differences between COBOL and COBOL II -  Implementing Multi-Level Control Break with Complexities         Handling complexities such as "Page # of #"         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Structured walkthrough         Coding the program         Review of sample program         Differences between COBOL and COBOL II              Handling complexities              Placement of "re-initializing" code -  Subprogram Linkage         CALL statement         Passing parameters         LINKAGE SECTION         STOP RUN vs GOBACK         CANCEL         Static vs dynamic calls         Reentrant programs         Multiple entry points         Running below or above the 16-megabyte line:              DATA(24) and DATA(31)              AMODE and RMODE         Basic Linkage Editor control statements         Linking from object or load modules         Passing data vs passing addresses <              CALL BY CONTENT / CALL BY REFERENCE         Passing data from the JCL         Nested programs -  Implementing Subprogram Linkage         Functional decomposition         Pseudocode         Structured walkthrough         Coding the program         Differences between COBOL and COBOL II -  CICS Programs         Structured logic considerations         Bending the rules         Review of sample programs -  DB2 Programs with Cursors         Structured logic considerations         Direct data access considerations         When the rules are broken         Processing variable-length fields (STRING / UNSTRING)         Review of sample programs

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