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HP OpenVMS Systems Documentation
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HP COBOL
Reference Manual

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Chapter 4
Environment Division

Function

The Environment Division describes the program's physical environment. It also specifies input-output control and describes special control techniques and hardware characteristics.

The Environment Division can contain two sections:

Syntax Rules

  1. The Environment Division follows the Identification Division.
  2. The general format defines the order of appearance of Environment Division entries.
  3. A contained program cannot include a Configuration Section.

General Rule

Explicit or implicit Configuration Section entries in a program containing other programs apply to each contained program.

4.1 CONFIGURATION Section

The Configuration Section can contain three paragraphs:

The Configuration Section must not be stated in a program that is contained within another program. If Configuration Section entries are stated in a program that contains other programs, they apply to each contained program.

4.1.1 SOURCE-COMPUTER

Function

The SOURCE-COMPUTER paragraph specifies the computer on which the source program is to be compiled.

computer-type

is a user-defined word that names the computer.

Syntax Rule

ALPHA, I64, and VAX are system-names. They are not reserved words, and are for documentation only.

General Rules

  1. If the WITH DEBUGGING MODE clause is not used, this paragraph is for documentation only.
  2. All clauses of the SOURCE-COMPUTER paragraph apply to the program that specifies them. They also apply to any program contained within that program.
  3. If you include the WITH DEBUGGING MODE clause in a program, or if you specify the conditionals command-line option, all conditional compilation lines are compiled. Otherwise, the compiler treats all conditional compilation lines as comment lines. (See Section 1.3.1 for additional information about source line interpretation.)

4.1.2 OBJECT-COMPUTER

Function

The OBJECT-COMPUTER paragraph describes the computer on which the program is to execute.

computer-type

is a user-defined word that names the computer.

integer

is a numeric literal that has no digits to the right of the assumed decimal point.

alpha-name

is the name of a collating sequence defined in the ALPHABET clause of the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph.

segment-number

is an integer from 1 to 49.

Syntax Rule

ALPHA, I64, and VAX are system-names. They are not reserved words, and are for documentation only.

General Rules

  1. All clauses of the OBJECT-COMPUTER paragraph apply to the program that explicitly or implicitly specifies them. They also apply to any program contained within that program.
  2. The MEMORY SIZE clause is for documentation only. It has no effect on program execution.
  3. The PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE clause causes the program to use the collating sequence of alpha-name to determine the truth value of nonnumeric comparisons in:
    • Relation conditions
    • Condition-name conditions
    • Report description entries, the CONTROL clause
  4. The PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE clause also applies to nonnumeric merge and sort keys. However, the COLLATING SEQUENCE phrase in a MERGE or SORT statement takes precedence over the PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE clause.
  5. If there is no PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE clause, the program uses the NATIVE collating sequence.
  6. The SEGMENT-LIMIT clause is for documentation only.

Additional References

Additionally, refer to the information on SORT and MERGE statements in the HP COBOL User Manual.

Examples

  1. Computer name only: 


    OBJECT-COMPUTER. Alpha.
  2. No computer name (if the computer is not specified, then no other clause can appear): 


    OBJECT-COMPUTER.
  3. With PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE clause: 


    OBJECT-COMPUTER. Alpha
    PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE IS ALPH-A.

    The SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph must define ALPH-A.
  4. With PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE clause: 


    OBJECT-COMPUTER. Alpha
    SEQUENCE IS EBCDIC.

    The SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph must define EBCDIC.
    If EBCDIC refers to the EBCDIC collating sequence, the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph must contain the following clause: 


    ALPHABET EBCDIC IS EBCDIC

4.1.3 SPECIAL-NAMES

Function

The SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph: (1) associates compiler features and logical names (on OpenVMS systems) or environment variables (on Tru64 UNIX systems) with user-defined mnemonic-names, (2) provides a way to reference command-line arguments and (on Tru64 UNIX) environment variables or (on OpenVMS) logical names with user-defined mnemonic names, (3) defines symbolic-characters, (4) specifies the currency sign, (5) selects the decimal point, (6) relates alphabet-names to character sets or collating sequences, (7) relates class-names to character sets, (8) provides for cursor positioning for an ACCEPT (Format 5) statement, and (9) provides information on the cause of termination of an ACCEPT (Format 5) statement.

device-name

is a user-defined word for a device. Only the ACCEPT and DISPLAY statements can refer to it.

argument-number

is a user-defined word that contains the current argument position indicator number when used with DISPLAY, or the count of command line arguments when used with ACCEPT. Only the ACCEPT and DISPLAY statements can refer to it.

argument-value

is a user-defined word that contains the value of the current command line argument as indicated by the current ARGUMENT-NUMBER. Only the ACCEPT and DISPLAY statements can refer to it.

environment-name

is a user-defined word that contains the name of an environment variable or system logical. Only the ACCEPT and DISPLAY statements can refer to it.

environment-value

is a user-defined word that contains the value of the environment variable or logical named by the current ENVIRONMENT-NAME. Only the ACCEPT and DISPLAY statements can refer to it.

top-of-page-name

is a user-defined word for the top of a page. Only the WRITE statement can refer to it.

switch-num

is the number of a program switch. Its value can range from 1 to 16.

switch-name

is a mnemonic-name for the program switch.

cond-name

is a condition-name for the on or off status of the switch. It always possesses the global attribute. Its truth value is true when the STATUS phrase matches the status of the switch, false when it does not.

alpha-name

is the user-defined word for a character set, collating sequence, or both. It always possesses the global attribute.

first-literal

is a literal. It specifies either: (1) the value of one or more alphabet characters, or (2) the first in a range of values.

last-literal

is a literal. It specifies the last in a range of values.

lit

is a literal. It specifies an alphabet character value.

symbol-char

is a user-defined word that names the symbolic-character. It always possesses the global attribute. The same symbol-char cannot appear more than once in the SYMBOLIC CHARACTERS clause.

char-val

is an integer that indicates the ordinal position of a character in the native character set.

class-name

is the user-defined word for a class. It always possesses a global attribute.

char

is a one-character nonnumeric literal that specifies the currency symbol. It cannot be a symbolic-character or figurative constant.

literal-7 (Alpha, I64)

is an alphanumeric literal. It cannot be a figurative constant.

literal-8 (Alpha, I64)

is an alphanumeric literal consisting of a single character. It cannot be a figurative constant. No two occurrences of literal-8 can have the same value.

cursor-position (Alpha, I64)

is a data item declared in the Working-Storage Section of the program. It is either an elementary unsigned numeric integer either four or six characters in length, described as USAGE IS DISPLAY, or a group item either four or six characters in length, consisting of two elementary unsigned data items.

crt-status-code (Alpha, I64)

is a group data item three characters in length, declared in the Working-Storage Section of the program. <>

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