In a COBOL program for managing employee records, you need to represent each employee's details, including name, ID, and salary. Which type of COBOL data item would be most appropriate for this purpose?
- GROUP
- JUSTIFIED
- OCCURS
- REDEFINES
The GROUP data item in COBOL is suitable for representing a collection of related data fields. In the context of managing employee records, you can use GROUP to organize details such as name, ID, and salary under a single structure, making it convenient to manage and access employee information.
In COBOL, what is a user-defined function, and how is it implemented in the Procedure Division?
- A user-defined function is a custom subroutine written by the programmer to perform specific tasks. It is implemented using the FUNCTION verb in the Procedure Division
- A user-defined function is a data type in COBOL
- A user-defined function is a reserved function provided by COBOL
- COBOL does not support user-defined functions
In COBOL, a user-defined function is a custom subroutine created by the programmer to perform specific tasks. It is implemented using the FUNCTION verb in the Procedure Division, allowing developers to extend the language's functionality.
In a COBOL application, you need to process a large transaction log file sequentially. Which file organization would be most appropriate for this scenario?
- Indexed
- Line Sequential
- Relative
- Sequential
For processing files sequentially, the Sequential file organization is the most appropriate in COBOL. It allows reading records in the order they appear in the file, which is efficient for large transaction log files.
In a COBOL program that handles sales transactions, you need to store the daily sales figures for each product. How would you use the OCCURS clause to accomplish this efficiently?
- Depending On
- Grouping
- Indexing
- Non-indexed
Using the OCCURS clause with indexing is most efficient for storing daily sales figures for each product. It allows direct access to specific elements based on an index, facilitating quick retrieval of sales data for a particular product.
A colleague is new to COBOL programming and asks you about the significance of the "PROGRAM-ID" paragraph in the "IDENTIFICATION DIVISION." How would you explain its role?
- It defines the data items used in the program
- It indicates the program's execution flow
- It provides a unique identifier for the COBOL program
- It specifies the input and output files for the program
The "PROGRAM-ID" paragraph in the "IDENTIFICATION DIVISION" of a COBOL program provides a unique identifier for the program. It is used to uniquely identify the COBOL program and is often referenced in other parts of the system.
When might you choose to use a PERFORM UNTIL loop instead of a PERFORM VARYING loop?
- When the loop condition is based on a fixed number of iterations
- When the loop condition is based on a logical condition at the end of the loop
- When the loop condition is based on a specific range of values
- When the loop condition is not predetermined
A PERFORM UNTIL loop in COBOL is used when the loop condition is based on a logical condition at the end of the loop. It ensures that the loop continues until a specified condition is met, providing flexibility in defining the termination criteria.
When working with indexed files in COBOL, the _______ clause is used to specify the maximum number of alternate indexes.
- ALTINDEXMAX
- ALTMAXINDEX
- INDEXMAX
- MAXINDEX
The INDEXMAX clause in COBOL is used to specify the maximum number of alternate indexes associated with a particular file. This defines the limit on the number of alternate indexes that can be defined for efficient file access.
To identify duplicate records in a COBOL file, you can use the _____ clause in the file description.
- DUPLICATES
- OCCURS
- REPEATED
- UNIQUE
The DUPLICATES clause in the file description of a COBOL program is used to identify and handle duplicate records within the file. It allows the programmer to specify the criteria for identifying duplicates based on one or more fields.
What does the CLOSE verb in COBOL primarily do for an open file?
- Deletes the contents of the file
- Modifies the file's structure
- Opens the file for reading or writing
- Releases resources associated with the file and terminates the connection
The CLOSE verb in COBOL is used to release resources associated with an open file and terminate the connection between the COBOL program and the file. It ensures proper closure and cleanup after file operations.
In COBOL, what is the significance of the USAGE clause when defining variables?
- It controls the scope of a variable
- It defines the visibility of a data item
- It indicates the level of a data item
- It specifies the storage format of a data item
The USAGE clause in COBOL is used to specify the storage format of a data item, such as binary, packed-decimal, or display. It directly influences how the data is stored in memory.