Re: COBOL ain't quite dead - yet !

In article <ikbhg45qcfv8uut04l9o3gkfk9pulebu88@xxxxxxx>,
Howard Brazee <howard@xxxxxxxxxx> writes:
On 29 Oct 2008 18:08:13 GMT, billg999@xxxxxxxxxxx (Bill Gunshannon)
wrote:

In article <747hg4965hgegcuojhe10um7ic1f5lnccg@xxxxxxx>,
Howard Brazee <howard@xxxxxxxxxx> writes:
I have seen

PERFORM AAA THRU AAA-EXIT.

AAA SECTION.
AAA-PARAGRAPH.
...
AAA-EXIT.
EXIT.


This was the norm for "Structured COBOL" ala Shelley & Cashman back when
I was taking classes in the late 70's. Most of the programming standards
I ran into required it (back when programming shops actually had standards!)

What advantage is this in either performing AAA or PERFORM
AAA-PARAGRAPH THRU AAA-EXIT?

I thought that question was answered in the next parpagraph.


I can't see what might be considered detrimental to it. I think it makes
the code easier for humans to read as blocks are more plainly delineated.
And the compiler probably doesn't care one way or the other. :-)

bill


The logic doesn't make sense to me. Compilers do understand it, but
it's very much like dangerous loops where performed THRU code performs
itself.

The way I see it (and how it was explained way back when) the two seperate
paragraphs create a block (akin to the BEGIN and END in Pascal procedures.)
As I said, the compiler don't care but humans can see at a glance where a
particular block of code begins and ends. And, if the you were actually
following the other rules of "Structured COBOL" the functions of your
program would be broken down into well delineated tasks with each task
being handled by it's paragraph. All of it in a top down structured tree.
And this would match and follow your flowchart in every detail. Oh wait,
they don't use them anymore either, :-) I see no way that using an EXIT
paragraph is going to result in a loop without it being pretty obvious
to the programmer.


In the same way, I like XML nested syntax requirements better than
HTML nested syntax requirements. Keep the logic clean.

Don't know either, so I can't comment.

bill

--
Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves
billg999@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton |
Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include <std.disclaimer.h>
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: COBOL aint quite dead - yet !
    ... Howard Brazee writes: ... This was the norm for "Structured COBOL" ala Shelley & Cashman back when ... AAA-PARAGRAPH THRU AAA-EXIT? ... I would agree that EXIT SECTION ...
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