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The Computer Journal 1974 17(1):93-94; doi:10.1093/comjnl/17.1.93
© 1974 by British Computer Society
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Discussion and Correspondence

Handling records with a variable structure in COBOL

J. M. Triance *

Computation Department, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Sackville Street, Manchester, UK

In many data processing applications records are encountered where the fields vary in length and position within the record. In the case of Utility Programs this variation can occur from one run to another and in the case of input data it can occur from one record to another in the same file. Normal COBOL data definition is incapable of handling this type of data but it can be handled effectively by means of the DEPENDING ON option of the OCCURS clause. But the proposed Standard in COBOL will have an adverse effect on this invaluable facility.

Received May 1973.

* Computation Department, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Sackville Street, Manchester


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