The "OCCURS" clause in COBOL is often used in conjunction with variable-length records to specify the maximum _____ of records in a group.
- Length
- Number
- Occurrence
- Size
The "OCCURS" clause in COBOL is used to specify the maximum number of occurrences of a group of data items. It is commonly used with arrays or repeating fields to define the size or occurrence of a group.
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.
What is the purpose of the ACCESS MODE clause when defining an indexed file in COBOL?
- DYNAMIC and RANDOM
- RANDOM and SEQUENTIAL
- SEQUENTIAL and DYNAMIC
- SEQUENTIAL only
The ACCESS MODE clause in COBOL specifies how the file will be accessed. RANDOM allows both direct and sequential access, while SEQUENTIAL allows only sequential access. Combining them provides flexibility in file access methods.
In a COBOL program, you need to store data related to multiple sales transactions, each having various attributes. How would you define a suitable data structure for this scenario?
- Defining individual variables for each attribute of a sales transaction
- Employing nested records to capture various attributes within each sales transaction
- Using an array or table structure with OCCURS clause to represent multiple sales transactions
- Utilizing REDEFINES clause to optimize storage for sales transaction data
Using an array or table structure with the OCCURS clause is suitable for handling multiple sales transactions, providing a systematic way to organize and process the data.
You are designing a COBOL program to handle employee records, which include both personal and job-related data. How would you structure the data to represent these two categories effectively?
- Defining separate record structures for personal and job-related data
- Incorporating redefines to overlap personal and job-related data
- Using a group item to define a record containing individual fields for personal and job-related data
- Utilizing OCCURS clause to organize data in a table structure
It is effective to define separate record structures for personal and job-related data to ensure clarity and maintainability in the COBOL program. This allows for easy understanding and modification of each data category.
Explain the concept of file ________ and how it is managed when multiple users access VSAM and ISAM files in COBOL.
- Buffering
- Compression
- Encryption
- Locking
File Buffering is the concept of temporarily storing data in memory to improve access speed when multiple users access VSAM and ISAM files in COBOL. Buffering reduces the need to repeatedly read data from the physical file, enhancing overall performance by utilizing the data stored in memory.
What happens when a CONTINUE statement is encountered during program execution?
- It continues with the next iteration of the loop
- It restarts the program from the beginning
- It terminates the program
- It transfers control to the next paragraph in the procedure division
When a CONTINUE statement is encountered in COBOL, it transfers control to the next paragraph in the procedure division. It is often used for creating empty or dummy paragraphs and does not affect the flow of the program.
You are designing a COBOL program to process sales data. Which type of COBOL data item would you use to group related sales information, such as product code, quantity sold, and total sales amount?
- GROUP
- JUSTIFIED
- OCCURS
- REDEFINES
In COBOL, the GROUP data item is used to structure related data fields together. It allows you to group multiple elementary items under a single name, facilitating the organization of data, such as grouping sales details like product code, quantity, and total sales amount.
During debugging, the _____ statement in COBOL is often used to display variable values and messages.
- ACCEPT
- DISPLAY
- MOVE
- PERFORM
In COBOL, the DISPLAY statement is commonly used during debugging to show variable values and messages. It helps programmers understand the flow and values at different points in the program.