Configuration section
The configuration section is an optional section for programs and classes, and can describe the computer environment on which the program or class is compiled and executed.
- Program configuration section
- The configuration section can be specified only in the ENVIRONMENT
DIVISION of the outermost program of a COBOL source program.
You should not specify the configuration section in a program that is contained within another program. The entries specified in the configuration section of a program apply to any program contained within that program.
- Class configuration section
- Specify the configuration section in the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION
of a class definition. The repository paragraph can be specified in
the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION of a class definition.
Entries in a class configuration section apply to the entire class definition, including all methods introduced by that class.
- Method configuration section
- The input-output section can be specified in a method configuration section. The entries apply only to the method in which the configuration section is specified.
The configuration section can:
- Relate IBM-defined environment-names to user-defined mnemonic names
- Specify the collating sequence
- Specify a currency sign value, and the currency symbol used in the PICTURE clause to represent the currency sign value
- Exchange the functions of the comma and the period in PICTURE clauses and numeric literals
- Relate alphabet-names to character sets or collating sequences
- Specify symbolic characters
- Relate class-names to sets of characters
- Relate object-oriented class names to external class-names and identify class-names that can be used in a class definition or program
- Relate xml-schema-names to ddnames or environment variable names identifying files containing XML schemas