DEFINITIONS OF SYMBOLS AND PLACEHOLDERS:

... (ellipsis) - indication that the preceding item may be repeated a number of times, separated by a delimeter (ex. comma, space)
[ ] (brackets) - indication of an optional clause in the syntax
| (vertical bar) - two or more words separated by a vertical bar indicates that one of the values may be used
alphanumeric variable - an alphanumerica variable defined in WORKING-STORAGE
arithmetic expression - an expression representing one or more arithmetic operations (+ - / *) involving numeric values
compare list -
condition - an expression representing one or more comparisons between values optionally joined by AND or OR
constant, alphanumeric - a set of characters enclosed in quotation marks: "ABC"
constant, numeric - an expression representing a number:  1296.54
do something - any COBOL command(s)
do something else - any COBOL command(s) different from the one given above
file-field-name - a COBOL variable that is a field in a record of a file described in an FD or SD
file-name - the name of a file described in an FD
file-record - a COBOL variable that is the record of a file described in an FD
index - a variable defined in WORKING-STORAGE used as an index for a table or array
mode - one of the four open modes for a file:  OUTUT, EXTEND, I-O, INPUT
numeric value - a numeric constant or a numeric variable
numeric variable - a numeric variable defined in WORKING-STORAGE
paragraph - a paragraph name in the COBOL program
sort-file - the name of a file described in an SD
value - a constant or a variable
variable - a variable defined in WORKING-STORAGE
 

ACCEPT

ACCEPT variable...

ADD

ADD numeric value ... TO
        numeric variable [ROUNDED] ...
        [ ON SIZE ERROR
            do something]

ADD numeric value ... GIVING
        numeric variable [ROUNDED] ...
        [ ON SIZE ERROR
            do something]

ADD numeric value ... TO
        numeric variable
        GIVING numeric variable [ROUNDED] ...
        [ ON SIZE ERROR
            do something]

CALL

CALL "program-name"

CLOSE

CLOSE filename

COMPUTE

COMPUTE numeric variable
        [ROUNDED] =
        arithmetic expression
        [ ON SIZE ERROR
            do something else]

COPY

COPY "filename.ext"

DELETE

DELETE file-name RECORD
        [ INVALID KEY
            do something

DISPLAY

DISPLAY value [WITH NO ADVANCING]

DIVIDE

DIVIDE numeric value BY numeric value
    GIVING variable [ROUNDED] ...
    [ ON SIZE ERROR
        do something ]

DIVIDE numeric value BY numeric value
    GIVING variable [ROUNDED] ...
    REMAINDER numeric variable
    [ ON SIZE ERROR
        do something ]

DIVIDE numeric value INTO numeric value
    GIVING variable [ROUNDED] ...
    [ ON SIZE ERROR
        do something ]

DIVIDE numeric value INTO numeric value
    GIVING variable [ROUNDED] ...
    REMAINDER numeric variable
    [ ON SIZE ERROR
        do something ]

EXIT

EXIT PROGRAM

GO TO

GO TO paragraph
*** do not use in this class!

IF ELSE

IF condition
    do something...
ELSE
    do something...

INSPECT

INSPECT variable
    CONVERTING compare list
    TO replace list

MOVE

MOVE value TO variable  ...

MULTIPLY

MULTIPLY numeric value
    BY numeric variable [ROUNDED] ...
    [ ON SIZE ERROR
        do something ]

MULTIPLY numeric value
    BY numeric variable
    GIVING variable [ROUNDED] ...
    [ ON SIZE ERROR
        do something ]

OPEN

OPEN mode file-name

PERFORM

PERFORM paragraph

PERFORM paragraph
    value TIMES

PERFORM paragraph
    UNTIL condition

PERFORM paragraph
    VARYING variable
    FROM value
    BY value
    UNTIL condition

READ

READ file-name [NEXT]  RECORD
    AT END
        do something

For a SEQUENTIAL file, READ and READ NEXT RECORD are identical

READ file-name RECORD
    INVALID KEY
        do something

REWRITE

REWRITE file-record
    [ INVALID KEY
        do something ]

SEARCH

SEARCH table name
    [ AT END
        do something ]
    WHEN  condition
        do something

SET

SET index variable TO value

SET index
    UP|DOWN BY value

SORT

SORT sort-file
    ON ASCENDING KEY sort-field
    USING input-file
    GIVING output-file

SORT sort-file
    ON ASCENDING|DESCENDING KEY
        file-field-name

START

START file name
    KEY NOT < key name
        [ INVALID KEY
            do something ]

START file name
    KEY > key name
        [ INVALID KEY
            do something ]

START file name
    KEY EQUALS|NOT <|GREATER THAN
        key name
        [ INVALID KEY
            do something ]

SUBTRACT

SUBTRACT numeric value ...
    FROM numeric variable [ROUNDED] ...
    [ ON SIZE ERROR
        do something ]

SUBTRACT numeric value ... FROM numeric variable
    GIVING numeric variable [ROUNDED] ...
    [ ON SIZE ERROR
        do something ]

UNSTRING

UNSTRING variable
    DELIMITED BY [ALL] value
            [ OR [ALL] value ]
        INTO variable...

WRITE

WRITE file-record
    [FROM variable]
    [ INVALID KEY
        do something ]

WRITE file-record
    AFTER|BEFORE
    ADVANCING
    PAGE|value LINES