You are working on a COBOL program that processes a customer database with the potential for duplicate customer IDs. How would you efficiently identify and handle duplicate customer records to ensure data accuracy?
- Implement a hash function to identify duplicate customer IDs
- Use a SORT and MERGE process to eliminate duplicates based on customer IDs
- Use a sequential search to identify and remove duplicate customer records
- Utilize a COBOL table to store unique customer IDs and compare incoming records
Using a SORT and MERGE process is an efficient way to eliminate duplicate customer records based on customer IDs, ensuring data accuracy in the customer database. It involves sorting the data based on customer IDs and merging the records to eliminate duplicates.
How does inheritance work in Object-Oriented COBOL, and what benefits does it offer?
- By defining the size and type of data
- By optimizing program execution
- By organizing data in memory
- Inheritance allows a class (subclass) to inherit attributes and behaviors from another class (superclass). Benefits include code reuse, extensibility, and the ability to model relationships between classes.
In Object-Oriented COBOL, inheritance enables a subclass to inherit properties from a superclass, promoting code reuse, extensibility, and the modeling of relationships. A subclass can reuse attributes and behaviors from its superclass, leading to more maintainable code.
In COBOL, the EXIT statement is commonly used in conjunction with the _________ condition.
- EVALUATE
- IF
- NOT
- WHEN
In COBOL, the EXIT statement is commonly used in conjunction with the WHEN condition. This allows the program to exit a loop or a paragraph based on a specified condition.
Which intrinsic function is used to return the current date in COBOL?
- FUNCTION CURRENT-DATE
- FUNCTION DATE-CURRENT
- FUNCTION DATE-NOW
- FUNCTION NOW
The FUNCTION CURRENT-DATE in COBOL is used to retrieve the current date. It returns a data item containing the current date in the format YYYYMMDD.
The ________ clause in COBOL is used to specify the number of times a group data item can occur.
- DEPENDING ON
- INDEXED BY
- OCCURS
- REDEFINES
The OCCURS clause in COBOL is used to specify the number of times a group data item or an elementary data item can occur in a table or an array. It defines the occurrence of a particular data item or group.
When performing database operations, the _____ statement is used to commit changes to the database.
- COMMIT WORK
- EXEC SQL COMMIT
- EXEC SQL ROLLBACK
- ROLLBACK WORK
When performing database operations, the COMMIT WORK statement is used in COBOL to commit changes made during the transaction to the database. It ensures the changes are permanently saved.
To improve performance, COBOL programs often use file ____________ to temporarily store records during processing.
- Archiving
- Buffering
- Indexing
- Sorting
Buffering is a technique used in COBOL to enhance performance by temporarily storing records in memory during processing. It reduces the need for frequent disk access, thereby optimizing I/O operations.
The EXIT statement can include a numeric operand that specifies the ___________ code to return to the operating system.
- Completion
- Error
- Exit
- Return
The EXIT statement in COBOL can include a numeric operand that specifies the exit code to return to the operating system. This allows the program to communicate its completion status to the calling environment.
When using the REDEFINES clause, it's essential to ensure that the redefined data items have the same starting _____
- Data Types
- Lengths
- Names
- Values
Ensuring that redefined data items have the same starting lengths is crucial when using the REDEFINES clause in COBOL. It helps in preventing data misalignment and memory allocation issues.
How is the OCCURS clause used to define an array in COBOL?
- By indicating the start and end indices
- By setting the REDEFINES attribute
- By specifying the number of occurrences and the data type
- By using the INDEXED BY phrase
To define an array in COBOL using the OCCURS clause, you specify the number of occurrences and the data type of the array elements. This allows the compiler to allocate memory for the array and enables efficient indexing and manipulation of array elements.