How to read the syntax diagrams
Throughout the document, diagrams illustrate Enterprise COBOLCOBOL for AIX® COBOL for Linuxsyntax.
Use the following description
to read the syntax diagrams in this document:
- Read the syntax diagrams from left to right, from top to bottom,
following the path of the line.
The
►►───
symbol indicates the beginning of a syntax diagram.The
───►
symbol indicates that the syntax diagram is continued on the next line.The
►───
symbol indicates that the syntax diagram is continued from the previous line.The
───►◄
symbol indicates the end of a syntax diagram.Diagrams of syntactical units other than complete statements start with the
►───
symbol and end with the───►
symbol. - Required items appear on the horizontal line (the main path).
- Optional items appear below the main path.
- When you can choose from two or more items, they appear vertically,
in a stack.
If you must choose one of the items, one item of the stack appears on the main path.
If choosing one of the items is optional, the entire stack appears below the main path.
-
An arrow returning to the left
above the main line indicates an item that can be repeated.
A repeat arrow above a stack indicates that you can make more than one choice from the stacked items, or repeat a single choice.
- Variables appear in italic lowercase letters (for example, parmx). They represent user-supplied names or values.
- If punctuation marks, parentheses, arithmetic operators, or other such symbols are shown, they must be entered as part of the syntax.
The following example shows how the syntax is used.
Format
- 1 The STATEMENT keyword must be specified and coded as shown.
- 2 This operand is required. Either identifier-1 or literal-1 must be coded.
- 3 The item 1 fragment is optional; it can be coded or not, as required by the application. If item 1 is coded, it can be repeated with each entry separated by one or more COBOL separators. Entry selections allowed for this fragment are described at the bottom of the diagram.
- 4 The operand identifier-3 and associated TO keyword are required and can be repeated with one or more COBOL separators separating each entry. Each entry can be assigned the keyword ROUNDED.
- 5 The ON SIZE ERROR phrase with associated imperative-statement-1 is optional. If the ON SIZE ERROR phrase is coded, the keyword ON is optional.
- 6 The END-STATEMENT keyword can be coded to end the statement. It is not a required delimiter.