Structured programming in Cobol: an approach for application programmers

ABSTRACT

Techniques for designing and writing Cobol programs are presented. Previous work in structured programming is drawn upon and adapted. The presentation is informal: the terminology is nonmathematical as far as possible, no theorems are proved, and examples are used frequently. Top-down program design is implemented through the use of structured flowcharts, disciplined specifications, and step by step verification. A well-formed Cobol program is defined. The proper use of the GO TO and other Cobol coding practices are discussed.

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INDEX TERMS

Keywords:
Cobol, GO TO statement, application programming, flowchart, program verification, repeat statement, software reliability, structured programming, top-down, well-formed program