What is the significance of the INPUT PROCEDURE in a COBOL SORT statement?
- Defines the criteria for output record selection
- Provides a procedure to be executed before sorting starts
- Specifies the condition to be met for input records
- Specifies the output file for sorted records
The INPUT PROCEDURE in a COBOL SORT statement allows the programmer to specify a procedure that will be executed before the sorting process begins. It is commonly used for tasks such as data manipulation or validation before sorting.
When defining an array or table in COBOL, you must specify the _____ of elements it can hold.
- INDEX
- OCCURS
- RANGE
- SIZE
When defining an array or table in COBOL, the OCCURS clause is used to specify the number of elements it can hold. It determines the size or occurrence of the table, indicating how many times a data item should repeat.
When performing division in COBOL, which operator should you use?
- *
- +
- -
- /
The forward slash (/) operator is used for division in COBOL. For instance, "DIVIDE operand1 BY operand2 GIVING result." is a division operation in COBOL.
How is encapsulation achieved in Object-Oriented COBOL?
- By bundling data and methods within a class
- By separating data and procedures
- Through external subroutine calls
- Through the use of global variables
Encapsulation in Object-Oriented COBOL is achieved by bundling data and methods within a class. This means that the internal details of the class, such as data structures and implementation details, are hidden from the outside world, promoting information hiding and reducing complexity.
In COBOL, what is the significance of the COMPUTATIONAL USAGE clause when defining numeric data items?
- It defines the level of the item
- It is used for conditional processing
- It specifies the data type of the item
- It specifies the initial value of the item
The COMPUTATIONAL USAGE clause in COBOL is used to specify the representation and storage format of numeric data items. It defines whether the item is binary, packed decimal, or floating-point. This declaration is crucial for proper storage allocation and processing of numeric data.
What is the key difference between "EVALUATE" and "IF" statements in COBOL?
- "EVALUATE" is used for multiple condition testing, while "IF" is for single condition testing
- "IF" is used for arithmetic operations, while "EVALUATE" is for logical operations
- "IF" is used for multiple condition testing, while "EVALUATE" is for single condition testing
- Both "EVALUATE" and "IF" are interchangeable
The key difference is that "EVALUATE" is designed for handling multiple condition tests in a more structured way, allowing for cleaner and more readable code when dealing with complex scenarios, whereas "IF" is primarily for single condition testing.
When using the PERFORM statement in COBOL, what is the difference between PERFORM...THRU and PERFORM...UNTIL?
- PERFORM...THRU is used for conditional statements, and PERFORM...UNTIL is used for unconditional statements.
- PERFORM...THRU is used for looping, and PERFORM...UNTIL is used for sequential execution.
- PERFORM...THRU is used with arrays, and PERFORM...UNTIL is used with strings.
- PERFORM...THRU specifies a range of paragraphs to be executed, while PERFORM...UNTIL repeats execution until a specified condition is true.
PERFORM...THRU is used to specify a range of paragraphs to be executed sequentially, while PERFORM...UNTIL repeats the execution until a specified condition is true. Understanding the difference is crucial for effective use of the PERFORM statement in COBOL programs.
The _____ statement in COBOL is used for looping and repetition.
- EVALUATE
- IF
- MOVE
- PERFORM
The PERFORM statement in COBOL is used for looping and repetition. It allows a set of statements to be executed iteratively based on a specified condition or a fixed number of times.
Explain the concept of "caching" in the context of file handling performance optimization.
- Caching is a technique to store frequently accessed data in memory for faster retrieval
- Caching is used only for read-only file operations
- It involves compressing file data to reduce storage space
- It refers to creating multiple copies of files for redundancy
Caching in file handling optimization involves storing frequently accessed data in memory, reducing the need for repeated disk access. This results in faster read operations as the data is readily available in memory, improving overall system performance.
In COBOL, what is the default scope of a variable declared within a procedure?
- Global scope
- Local scope
- Regional scope
- Universal scope
By default, a variable declared within a procedure in COBOL has a local scope. This means that the variable is accessible only within the procedure in which it is declared, reducing the risk of unintended interference with other parts of the program.