You are tasked with implementing a COBOL program to track employee working hours for a large organization. How would you use arrays or tables to handle this task effectively?
- Both Array and Table
- Neither Array nor Table
- Use a table
- Use an array
For tracking employee working hours in a large organization, a table in COBOL would be more effective. A table allows for dynamic storage allocation based on the number of employees, facilitating efficient management of variable-sized data sets. Arrays might limit flexibility and could be less practical in handling a dynamic workforce.
In a multi-user environment, you need to ensure that only one user can update a specific record in an ISAM file at a time. How would you implement file locking for this purpose?
- Apply a system-level lock using operating system utilities
- Implement record-level locking using a separate lock file
- Use the COBOL LOCK clause for exclusive access
- Utilize COBOL SYNC clause for synchronization
To ensure exclusive access to a record in an ISAM file, using the COBOL LOCK clause for exclusive access is a common approach. It prevents other users from updating the same record simultaneously, avoiding data inconsistency.
The OCCURS clause is used to define _________ data items in COBOL.
- Complex
- Repeating
- Special
- Unique
The OCCURS clause in COBOL is used to define repeating data items. It allows the definition of arrays or tables, enabling the storage of multiple occurrences of the same data structure.
How can the FUNCTION LENGTH intrinsic function be used to determine the length of a string in COBOL?
- FUNCTION LENGTH OF STRING-NAME
- FUNCTION LENGTH OF STRING-NAME RETURNING LENGTH-VARIABLE
- FUNCTION LENGTH STRING-NAME
- FUNCTION LENGTH(STRING-NAME)
The correct syntax for using FUNCTION LENGTH to determine the length of a string in COBOL is FUNCTION LENGTH OF STRING-NAME RETURNING LENGTH-VARIABLE. It returns the length of the specified string into the LENGTH-VARIABLE.
You are working on a COBOL program that calculates the age of a person based on their date of birth. Which COBOL function or technique would you use to perform this calculation?
- AGE function
- Arithmetic operations with date fields
- DATE-OF-BIRTH function
- Reference modification with date fields
In COBOL, you would typically perform age calculation using arithmetic operations with date fields. By subtracting the birthdate from the current date, you can obtain the age of the person.
What is the primary characteristic of a sequential file organization in COBOL?
- Records are stored in a consecutive order based on a key field
- Records are stored in a tree-like structure
- Records are stored randomly across the file
- Records can be directly accessed using an index
In a sequential file organization, records are stored in consecutive order based on a key field. This allows for easy retrieval of records in the order they were added to the file.
When the EXIT statement is executed, it can trigger the release of __________ resources.
- External
- File
- Memory
- System
When the EXIT statement is executed in COBOL, it can trigger the release of memory resources. This is particularly important for efficient resource management within a program.
How can the EXIT statement be used to terminate the execution of a COBOL program?
- By setting a specific condition code
- By specifying EXIT PROGRAM in the EXIT statement
- By using PERFORM UNTIL condition with EXIT
- By using STOP RUN statement
The EXIT statement alone does not terminate the execution of a COBOL program. To achieve program termination, you can use the STOP RUN statement, which explicitly instructs the COBOL run-time system to stop the program execution.
In COBOL, what is the difference between a data item defined in the WORKING-STORAGE section and a data item defined in the FILE SECTION?
- Data items in the WORKING-STORAGE section are temporary, while those in the FILE SECTION are permanent
- WORKING-STORAGE section is for data definitions, and FILE SECTION is for program logic
- WORKING-STORAGE section is for input/output files, and FILE SECTION is for internal variables
- WORKING-STORAGE section is for program logic, and FILE SECTION is for data definitions
The WORKING-STORAGE section in COBOL is used for variables that need to retain their values throughout the program execution, primarily for program logic. The FILE SECTION, on the other hand, is used for defining file-related data items and is not typically used for program logic.
When working with VSAM and ISAM files, the _____ clause defines the organization of the file.
- ACCESS
- KEY
- ORGANIZATION
- RECORD
In COBOL, the ORGANIZATION clause is used to define the organization of a file, particularly when dealing with VSAM and ISAM files. It specifies whether the file is sequential, indexed, or relative.
In a COBOL program, if you have a numeric data item defined as USAGE COMP-3, what is the effect of applying the REDEFINES clause to it?
- It allows the same data to be referenced using different data descriptions
- It converts the COMP-3 data to COMP data
- It defines a new data item with the same name
- It is not allowed to use REDEFINES with COMP-3
The REDEFINES clause in COBOL allows the same storage space to be referenced using different data descriptions. When applied to a numeric data item with USAGE COMP-3, it enables sharing the same memory location with other data items, potentially of different types.
Explain how COBOL handles file locking and multi-user access when using the "I-O" mode.
- COBOL doesn't support file locking
- COBOL implements record-level locking to ensure data integrity
- COBOL restricts access to one user at a time
- COBOL utilizes system-level file locking mechanisms to prevent conflicts
When using the "I-O" mode in COBOL, file locking and multi-user access are typically handled by system-level mechanisms rather than by COBOL itself. COBOL programs can utilize features provided by the operating system to implement file locking and ensure data integrity in multi-user environments.