In a COBOL program for an inventory system, you need to calculate the total cost of goods sold (COGS) for a batch of products. Which arithmetic operation should be applied to achieve this?
- ADD
- COMPUTE
- DIVIDE
- SUBTRACT
To calculate the COGS, you should use the SUBTRACT operation to subtract the cost of goods sold from the initial inventory. ADD, DIVIDE, and COMPUTE are not suitable for this specific calculation.
When debugging, what does it mean if you encounter a "run-time error" in your COBOL program?
- A logical error in the program's algorithm
- A syntax error detected by the compiler
- An error in the program's input data
- An error that occurs during program execution
A "run-time error" in COBOL indicates an error that occurs during program execution rather than during compilation. These errors can include issues such as invalid arithmetic operations, division by zero, or accessing memory beyond the program's allocated space. Identifying and fixing run-time errors is crucial for ensuring program correctness.
In COBOL, a _____ variable is one that is accessible throughout the entire program.
- COMMON
- GLOBAL
- PERMANENT
- UNIVERSAL
In COBOL, a GLOBAL variable is one that is accessible throughout the entire program, making it available for use in any section or paragraph.
Which COBOL data type is appropriate for representing fixed-point decimal numbers?
- PIC 9(5)V9(2)
- PIC S9(5)V9(2)
- PIC S9(5)V9(2) COMP
- PIC S9(5)V9(2) COMP-3
The data type PIC S9(5)V9(2) COMP-3 in COBOL is used to represent fixed-point decimal numbers. The COMP-3, or packed decimal, format is suitable for efficient storage of decimal data, with each digit represented by half a byte.
The REDEFINES clause is used to __________ a group data item with another data item.
- Concatenate the data of
- Copy the data of
- Separate the storage of
- Share the storage of
The REDEFINES clause in COBOL is used to separate the storage of a group data item and another data item. It allows the same area of storage to be referenced using different data descriptions, providing versatility in data usage.
Your COBOL application needs to create a new file and write data to it. Which file access mode should be used for this purpose?
- EXTEND
- I-O
- INPUT
- OUTPUT
For creating a new file and writing data to it, the correct file access mode is OUTPUT. This mode is used to write records to a file and create a new file if it does not exist. It does not allow reading or updating existing records.
A ____________ array is one where the OCCURS clause is nested within another OCCURS clause in COBOL.
- Dynamic
- Hierarchical
- Multidimensional
- Nested
A nested array in COBOL is created when the OCCURS clause is used within another OCCURS clause. This allows for the creation of more complex data structures, such as tables of tables or matrices.
Which COBOL file control verb is used to establish a connection between a COBOL program and an external file?
- FILE
- OPEN
- READ
- WRITE
The OPEN verb in COBOL is used to establish a connection between a COBOL program and an external file. It prepares the file for subsequent READ or WRITE operations.
_____ is the process of creating a new object from a class in Object-Oriented COBOL.
- CREATION
- GENERATION
- INSTANTIATION
- OBJECTIFICATION
In Object-Oriented COBOL, the process of creating a new object from a class is known as "INSTANTIATION." It involves creating an instance of a class with its own set of data and behavior.
In COBOL, what are the typical sorting criteria you can specify while using the SORT verb?
- One or more keys from the record
- Only alphabetic fields
- Only literal values
- Only numeric fields
The SORT verb in COBOL allows you to specify one or more keys from the record as sorting criteria. These keys determine the order in which the records are sorted.