COBOL Workbench

IDENTIFICATION · DATA · PROCEDURE

Quick reference

Fixed-format columns

1–6Seq

7*

8A

12–72Area B · statements

73+Ignored

Division, section and paragraph names start in Area A (column 8). Statements go in Area B (column 12 onward). Switch to Free format in the editor bar to type anywhere; free-format comments start with *>.

PIC symbols

`X`	any character
`A`	letter or space
`9`	digit
`V`	implied decimal point (not printed)
`S`	number can be negative
`(n)`	repeat: `X(5)` is `XXXXX`
`Z , .`	zero suppression, comma, printed decimal
`$ * - + CR DB`	currency, cheque stars, signs

Statements

`DISPLAY`	print values; add `NO ADVANCING` to stay on the line
`ACCEPT`	read typed input, or `FROM DATE` / `TIME`
`MOVE`	copy a value, fitted to the receiving PIC
`ADD SUBTRACT MULTIPLY DIVIDE`	with `GIVING`, `ROUNDED`, `REMAINDER`, `ON SIZE ERROR`
`COMPUTE`	formulas with `+ - * / **`
`IF / EVALUATE`	decisions; close with `END-IF` / `END-EVALUATE`
`PERFORM`	paragraphs, `TIMES`, `UNTIL`, `VARYING`, inline with `END-PERFORM`
`SET`	`SET name TO TRUE` for 88 levels; `UP BY` / `DOWN BY`
`STRING UNSTRING`	join and split text
`INSPECT`	`TALLYING`, `REPLACING`, `CONVERTING`
`INITIALIZE`	reset to spaces and zeros
`GO TO / EXIT`	jump to a paragraph; `EXIT PARAGRAPH`, `EXIT PERFORM`
`STOP RUN`	end the program (`GOBACK` also works)

Functions

UPPER-CASE LOWER-CASE TRIM REVERSE LENGTH CONCATENATE NUMVAL SQRT ABS MOD REM INTEGER MAX MIN SUM MEAN MEDIAN RANDOM PI EXP LOG FACTORIAL CURRENT-DATE INTEGER-OF-DATE DATE-OF-INTEGER ORD CHAR

Not supported here

This workbench runs a teaching subset of COBOL in your browser. Files (FD, OPEN, READ, WRITE), REDEFINES, COPY, CALL, SORT, SEARCH and tables inside tables aren't available. Saved .cbl files are standard source, so they also compile with GnuCOBOL: cobc -x HELLO.cbl.

Ln 1, Col 1

SYSOUT Ready

Output from DISPLAY appears here, one line per DISPLAY, on green-bar paper like an old line printer. Press Run or Ctrl+Enter.