COBOL Reserved Words - COBOL Keywords
Return to COBOL Glossary, Reserved Words, COBOL, COBOL Libraries, COBOL Syntax, COBOL Data Structures, COBOL Algorithms, COBOL Development Tools, COBOL DevOps - COBOL SRE - COBOL CI/CD, Cloud Native COBOL - COBOL Microservices - Serverless COBOL, COBOL Security - COBOL DevSecOps, Functional COBOL, COBOL Concurrency, COBOL Data Science - COBOL and Databases, COBOL Machine Learning, COBOL Topics, Awesome COBOL, Awesome IBM Mainframe, IBM Mainframe Glossary, IBM Mainframe Development, COBOL Bibliography, Fortran, Fortran Glossary
Also called: COBOL Language Keywords, COBOL Reserved Keywords, COBOL Keywords, COBOL Reserved Identifiers, COBOL Reserved words
Provide a list of Reserved Words in ISO COBOL. Answer in MediaWiki syntax with the URL of the official documentation for each language reference.
3.5
Certainly! Below is a complete list of reserved words in GNU COBOL along with brief descriptions, formatted in MediaWiki syntax:
```mediawiki
ACCEPT - Accepts input from the user during program execution.
ADD - Adds numeric values or moves data from one variable to another.
ADDRESS - Specifies the location of data or a procedure within memory.
ADVANCING - Controls the positioning of output in a report or screen.
AFTER - Specifies actions to be performed after certain events.
ALLOCATE - Allocates memory dynamically during program execution.
ALPHABET - Defines the character set to be used.
ALPHABETIC - Declares a data item consisting of alphabetic characters.
ALPHABETIC-LOWER - Declares a data item consisting of lowercase alphabetic characters.
ALPHABETIC-UPPER - Declares a data item consisting of uppercase alphabetic characters.
ALPHANUMERIC - Declares a data item consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters.
ALPHANUMERIC-EDITED - Declares a data item for display with editing characters.
ALSO - Used in conditional statements for additional conditions.
ALTER - Modifies the behavior of a program or data item.
ALTERNATE - Specifies alternative record keys in indexed files.
AND - Used in conditional expressions to combine multiple conditions.
ANY - Represents any value in a conditional statement.
ARE - Indicates the presence of data items in a file or group.
AREA - Specifies the area of a screen or page.
AREAS - Declares areas within a screen or page.
ASCENDING - Specifies the order of sorting for data.
ASSIGN - Assigns a file to a specific device or resource.
AT - Specifies a particular position or condition in a file.
AUTHOR - Specifies the author of the COBOL program.
AUTO - Specifies automatic termination of a program.
AUTOMATIC - Declares variables to be automatically initialized.
AUTOTERMINATE - Automatically terminates a program on reaching a specific condition.
AVERAGE - Calculates the average value of a set of numeric data.
BACK - Positions the cursor to a previous position.
BACKGROUND-COLOR - Specifies the background color for display.
BACKGROUND-COLOUR - Specifies the background color for display.
BACKGROUND-COLOR-HOVER - Specifies the background color for display during mouse hover.
BACKGROUND-COLOUR-HOVER - Specifies the background color for display during mouse hover.
BASIS - Specifies the basis for calculations or comparisons.
BEFORE - Specifies actions to be performed before certain events.
BEGIN - Indicates the start of a program or a block of code.
BELL - Produces an audible alert or bell sound.
BINARY - Declares binary data items.
BINARY-CHAR - Declares binary data items consisting of characters.
BINARY-DOUBLE - Declares double-precision binary data items.
BINARY-LONG - Declares long binary data items.
BINARY-SHORT - Declares short binary data items.
BINARY-ZERO - Declares binary data items initialized to zero.
BLANK - Represents a space or blank character.
BLINK - Specifies blinking display attributes.
BLOCK - Defines a block of code or group of statements.
BOTTOM - Specifies the bottom boundary in a screen or page.
BY - Used in control statements for specifying increments or decrements.
C01-C20 - Level-number names for elementary data items.
CALL - Calls a subprogram or external procedure.
CANCEL - Cancels the execution of a program or a statement.
CBL - Specifies COBOL compilation options.
CHANGED - Indicates changes made to a data item.
CHANNEL - Specifies the input/output channel for file operations.
CHARACTER - Declares data items consisting of character strings.
CHARACTERS - Specifies the length or size of character data items.
CLASS - Specifies the class of a data item or object.
CLOCK-UNITS - Specifies units of time for clock operations.
CLOSE - Closes an open file or device.
COBOL - Identifies code as COBOL source.
CODE - Specifies code or data within a program.
CODE-SET - Specifies the character encoding used.
CODE-SET-CONTROL - Controls the character encoding used in the program.
COLLATING - Defines collating sequences for sorting.
COLUMN - Specifies the position in a report or screen.
COLUMNS - Specifies the width of data items in a report or screen.
COMMA - Specifies the delimiter for lists of items.
COMMUNICATION - Specifies communication options for file operations.
COMP - Declares binary numeric data items using a platform-specific format.
COMP-1 - Declares single-precision floating-point data items.
COMP-2 - Declares double-precision floating-point data items.
COMP-3 - Declares packed decimal data items.
COMP-4 - Declares binary data items using a platform-specific format.
COMP-5 - Declares binary data items using a platform-specific format.
COMPILE - Specifies compilation options.
COMPILER - Specifies the compiler version or options.
COMPONENT - Specifies a component or part of a data item.
COMPUTATIONAL - Declares binary numeric data items.
COMPUTATIONAL-1 - Declares single-precision floating-point data items.
COMPUTATIONAL-2 - Declares double-precision floating-point data items.
COMPUTATIONAL-3 - Declares packed decimal data items.
COMPUTATIONAL-4 - Declares binary data items.
COMPUTATIONAL-5 - Declares binary data items.
COMPUTE - Performs arithmetic or logical computations.
CONFIGURATION - Specifies configuration options for the environment.
CONNECT - Establishes a connection to a device or resource.
CONSOLE - Specifies console input/output operations.
CONTAINS - Specifies data items or records contained within a file or group.
CONTENT - Specifies the content or data stored in a variable or file.
CONTROL - Specifies control information or behavior.
CONTINUE - Continues execution from a specified point.
CONTROL-AREA - Specifies control area details for file operations.
CONVERTING - Converts data from one format to another.
COPY - Includes a copy of source code within the program.
CORR - Specifies correlation names for data items.
CORRESPONDING - Specifies correspondence between data items in different records.
CURRENCY - Specifies currency symbols or formats for numeric data.
CURRENT - Specifies current data or position within a file.
CURSOR - Specifies the position of the cursor on a screen.
DATA - Declares data items or records.
DATABASE - Specifies database operations or connections.
DATA-POINTER - Declares data pointers for dynamic memory allocation.
DATE - Specifies date data or operations.
DATE-COMPILED - Specifies the date when the program was compiled.
DATE-WRITTEN - Specifies the date when the program was written.
DAY - Specifies day-related operations or data.
DE - Specifies deletion operations or conditions.
DEBUG - Specifies debugging options or operations.
DEBUGGING - Specifies debugging options or operations.
DECIMAL-POINT - Specifies the character used as the decimal point.
DECLARATIVES - Specifies declarative sections within the program.
DEFAULT - Specifies default values or behaviors.
DELETE - Deletes records or data items from a file.
DELIMITED - Specifies delimited data items.
DEPENDING - Specifies variable-length data
items.
DESCENDING - Specifies the order of sorting in reverse.
DESTINATION - Specifies the destination of data or operations.
DETAILS - Specifies detailed information or data.
DISABLE - Disables a feature or option.
DISCONNECT - Terminates a connection to a device or resource.
DISPLAY - Displays data on the screen or output device.
DISPLAY-1 - Defines display attributes for data items.
DISPLAY-7 - Defines display attributes for data items.
DIVIDE - Divides numeric values.
DIVISION - Specifies divisions within a COBOL program.
DOWN - Specifies downward movement or direction.
DUPLICATES - Specifies handling of duplicate records.
DYNAMIC - Specifies dynamic memory allocation or operations.
EBCDIC - Specifies EBCDIC character encoding.
EDITION - Specifies the edition or version of the program.
ELSE - Specifies alternative actions in a conditional statement.
EMIT - Emits data or signals.
EMPTY - Specifies empty conditions or data.
ENABLE - Enables a feature or option.
END - Indicates the end of a program or block of code.
END-ACCEPT - Indicates the end of ACCEPT statement block.
END-ADD - Indicates the end of ADD statement block.
END-CALL - Indicates the end of CALL statement block.
END-COMPUTE - Indicates the end of COMPUTE statement block.
END-DELETE - Indicates the end of DELETE statement block.
END-DISPLAY - Indicates the end of DISPLAY statement block.
END-DIVIDE - Indicates the end of DIVIDE statement block.
END-EVALUATE - Indicates the end of EVALUATE statement block.
END-IF - Indicates the end of IF statement block.
END-INVOKE - Indicates the end of INVOKE statement block.
END-MULTIPLY - Indicates the end of MULTIPLY statement block.
END-OF-PAGE - Indicates the end of page in output.
END-PERFORM - Indicates the end of PERFORM statement block.
END-READ - Indicates the end of READ statement block.
END-RECEIVE - Indicates the end of RECEIVE statement block.
END-RETURN - Indicates the end of RETURN statement block.
END-REWRITE - Indicates the end of REWRITE statement block.
END-SEARCH - Indicates the end of SEARCH statement block.
END-SEND - Indicates the end of SEND statement block.
END-START - Indicates the end of START statement block.
END-STRING - Indicates the end of STRING statement block.
END-SUBTRACT - Indicates the end of SUBTRACT statement block.
END-UNSTRING - Indicates the end of UNSTRING statement block.
END-WRITE - Indicates the end of WRITE statement block.
ENDING - Specifies the ending conditions or data.
ENDING-KEY - Specifies the ending key for searches or operations.
ENTER - Specifies input operations or conditions.
ENTRY - Specifies entry points or procedures.
ENVIRONMENT - Specifies environment-related settings or options.
EOP - Specifies end-of-page conditions or operations.
EOP-LABEL - Specifies labels for end-of-page conditions.
EQUAL - Specifies equality conditions or operations.
ERROR - Specifies error conditions or handling.
EVALUATE - Specifies conditional evaluation of multiple conditions.
EVALUATION - Specifies evaluation operations or conditions.
EVENT - Specifies events or triggers.
EVERY - Specifies conditions or operations for every occurrence.
EXCEPTION - Specifies exception handling or conditions.
EXCLUDE - Excludes data items or records from processing.
EXCLUSIVE - Specifies exclusive access or conditions.
EXEC - Specifies execution of external programs or commands.
EXIT - Specifies exit conditions or operations.
EXPAND - Specifies expansion or growth operations.
EXTEND - Specifies extension or enlargement operations.
EXTENDED - Specifies extended operations or options.
EXTERNAL - Specifies external procedures or data.
FALSE - Specifies false conditions or values.
FD - Specifies file descriptions or layouts.
FETCH - Retrieves records from a file or database.
FILE - Specifies file-related operations or conditions.
FILE-CONTROL - Specifies file control operations or settings.
FILLER - Specifies fillers or padding within records.
FINAL - Specifies final or concluding operations.
FIRST - Specifies the first occurrence or position.
FIXED - Specifies fixed operations or conditions.
FLOAT - Specifies floating-point operations or conditions.
FLOW - Specifies flow control or direction.
FOOTING - Specifies footing operations or conditions.
FOR - Specifies iterative operations or conditions.
FROM - Specifies the source or origin of data.
FUNCTION - Specifies function-related operations or conditions.
GENERATE - Specifies generation of data or events.
GENERIC - Specifies generic operations or conditions.
GET - Retrieves data from files or sources.
GIVING - Specifies recipients or destinations of data.
GLOBAL - Specifies global or universal scope.
GO - Specifies movement or action.
GOBACK - Specifies return to caller or program termination.
GREATER - Specifies greater-than conditions or operations.
GRID - Specifies grid or matrix operations or conditions.
GROUP - Specifies grouping of data items or records.
GROUP-VALUE - Specifies group-level data values or conditions.
GUARD - Specifies guard or protective conditions.
HANDLE - Specifies handling or management operations.
HAVING - Specifies conditions or criteria for selection.
HEADER - Specifies header or title operations.
HEADING - Specifies heading or title operations.
HIGH-VALUE - Specifies high-value conditions or data.
HIGH-VALUES - Specifies high-value conditions or data.
HIGH-VALUE-SYN - Specifies high-value conditions or data.
HIGH-VALUES-SYN - Specifies high-value conditions or data.
HIGHLIGHT - Specifies highlighting or emphasis operations.
I-O - Specifies input/output operations.
I-O-CONTROL - Specifies input/output control operations.
I-O-ERROR - Specifies input/output error handling.
ID - Specifies identifier or identification operations.
IDENTIFICATION - Specifies program identification or metadata.
IF - Specifies conditional branching or execution.
IGNORING - Specifies conditions or data to be ignored.
II - Specifies level-number names for group data items.
ILLEGAL - Specifies illegal or unauthorized operations.
IN - Specifies inclusion or input operations.
INCLUDING - Specifies inclusion or addition of data items.
INDEX - Specifies index or position operations.
INDEXED - Specifies indexed access or operations.
INDICATE - Specifies indication or signaling operations.
INDICATORS - Specifies status indicators or flags.
INHERITS - Specifies inheritance or derivation.
INITIAL - Specifies initial or starting conditions.
INITIALIZED - Specifies initialized or preset conditions.
INITIALIZE - Specifies initialization operations.
INITIATE - Specifies initiation or starting operations.
INPUT - Specifies input operations or data.
INPUT-OUTPUT - Specifies input/output operations.
INSPECT - Specifies inspection or analysis operations.
INSTALLATION - Specifies installation-specific operations or settings.
INTEGER - Specifies integer data or operations.
INTENSITY - Specifies intensity or strength operations.
INTERFACE - Specifies interface or interaction operations.
INTERMEDIATE - Specifies intermediate or middle operations.
INTO - Specifies destination or containment operations.
INVALID - Specifies invalid or illegal conditions or data.
INVOKE - Specifies invocation or calling operations.
IS - Specifies comparison or identification operations.
ISOLATE - Specifies isolation or separation operations.
JUST - Specifies justification or alignment operations.
JUSTIFIED - Specifies justification or alignment operations.
KEY - Specifies key or index operations
.
LABEL - Specifies label or identifier operations.
LAST - Specifies last occurrence or position.
LEADING - Specifies leading or initial positions or characters.
LEFT - Specifies left or beginning operations.
LENGTH - Specifies length or size operations.
LESS - Specifies less-than conditions or operations.
LIBRARY - Specifies library or collection operations.
LIMIT - Specifies limits or boundaries.
LIMITS - Specifies limits or boundaries.
LINAGE - Specifies line numbering or pagination operations.
LINAGE-COUNTER - Specifies line numbering or pagination operations.
LINE - Specifies line operations or conditions.
LINES - Specifies line operations or conditions.
LINKAGE - Specifies linkage or connection operations.
LOCAL - Specifies local or specific operations or conditions.
LOCAL-STORAGE - Specifies local or specific storage operations.
LOCATION - Specifies location or position operations.
LOCK - Specifies locking or securing operations.
LOW-VALUE - Specifies low-value conditions or data.
LOW-VALUES - Specifies low-value conditions or data.
LOW-VALUE-SYN - Specifies low-value conditions or data.
LOW-VALUES-SYN - Specifies low-value conditions or data.
MANUAL - Specifies manual or hand-operated operations.
MARSHALLED - Specifies marshalling or packing operations.
MASS - Specifies mass or large-scale operations.
MEMORY - Specifies memory or storage operations.
MERGE - Specifies merging or combining operations.
MESSAGE - Specifies messaging or communication operations.
METHOD - Specifies method or procedure operations.
MODE - Specifies mode or state operations.
MODIFY - Specifies modification or alteration operations.
MODULES - Specifies modules or component operations.
MORE-LABELS - Specifies additional labels or identifiers.
MOVE - Specifies movement or transfer operations.
MULTIPLE - Specifies multiple or many operations.
MULTIPLY - Specifies multiplication operations.
NATIVE - Specifies native or platform-specific operations.
NAMESPACE - Specifies namespace or naming operations.
NATIONAL - Specifies national or language-specific operations.
NATIONAL-EDITED - Specifies national or language-specific edited data.
NATIONAL-PICTURE - Specifies national or language-specific picture data.
NATIONAL-SYMBOL - Specifies national or language-specific symbol operations.
NATURAL - Specifies natural or inherent operations.
NEGATIVE - Specifies negative conditions or values.
NEXT - Specifies next or following operations.
NO - Specifies negation or denial.
NOT - Specifies negation or denial.
NULL - Specifies null or empty conditions or values.
NULLS - Specifies null or empty conditions or values.
NUMBER - Specifies numeric data or operations.
NUMERIC - Specifies numeric data or operations.
NUMERIC-EDITED - Specifies numeric data for display with editing.
NUMERIC-SIGN - Specifies numeric sign operations or conditions.
NUMERIC-VALUE - Specifies numeric value operations or conditions.
NUMERIC-VALUES - Specifies numeric value operations or conditions.
OBJECT - Specifies object or instance operations.
OCCURS - Specifies occurrence or repetition operations.
OF - Specifies membership or attribution operations.
OFF - Specifies deactivation or turning off operations.
OFFSET - Specifies offset or displacement operations.
OMITTED - Specifies absence or exclusion operations.
ON - Specifies activation or turning on operations.
OPEN - Specifies opening or initialization operations.
OPTION - Specifies option or choice operations.
OPTIONS - Specifies options or settings.
OR - Specifies alternative conditions or operations.
ORDER - Specifies ordering or sequence operations.
ORGANIZATION - Specifies organization or structure operations.
OTHER - Specifies other or alternative conditions.
OUTPUT - Specifies output operations or data.
OVERFLOW - Specifies overflow or excess conditions.
OVERRIDE - Specifies overriding or replacing operations.
PACKED-DECIMAL - Specifies packed decimal data items.
PADDING - Specifies padding or filling operations.
PAGE - Specifies page or screen operations.
PAGE-COUNTER - Specifies page or screen numbering operations.
PASSWORD - Specifies password or access control operations.
PERFORM - Specifies performing or executing operations.
PF - Specifies program function or key operations.
PF-KEY - Specifies program function or key operations.
PH - Specifies program function or key operations.
PH-KEY - Specifies program function or key operations.
PIC - Specifies picture or format operations.
PICTURE - Specifies picture or format operations.
POINTER - Specifies pointer or reference operations.
POSITION - Specifies position or location operations.
POSITIVE - Specifies positive conditions or values.
PRESERVE - Specifies preservation or retention operations.
```
Certainly! Below is a complete list of reserved words in ISO COBOL in MediaWiki syntax:
ACCEPT
ADD
ADDRESS
ADVANCING
AFTER
ALL
ALPHABET
ALPHABETIC
ALPHABETIC-LOWER
ALPHABETIC-UPPER
ALPHANUMERIC
ALPHANUMERIC-EDITED
ALSO
ALTER
ALTERNATE
AND
ANY
APPLY
ARE
AREA
AREAS
ASCENDING
ASSIGN
AT
AUTHOR
AUTO
AUTOMATIC
AUTOTERMINATE
AVERAGE
BACK
BACKGROUND-COLOR
BACKGROUND-COLOUR
BACKGROUND-COLOR-HOVER
BACKGROUND-COLOUR-HOVER
BASIS
BEFORE
BEGIN
BELL
BINARY
BINARY-CHAR
BINARY-DOUBLE
BINARY-LONG
BINARY-SHORT
BINARY-ZERO
BLANK
BLINK
BLOCK
BOTTOM
BY
C01
C02
C03
C04
C05
C06
C07
C08
C09
C10
C11
C12
C13
C14
C15
C16
C17
C18
C19
C20
CALL
CANCEL
CBL
CHANGED
CHANNEL
CHARACTER
CHARACTERS
CLASS
CLOCK-UNITS
CLOSE
COBOL
CODE
CODE-SET
CODE-SET-CONTROL
COLLATING
COLUMN
COLUMNS
COMMA
COMMUNICATION
COMP
COMP-1
COMP-2
COMP-3
COMP-4
COMP-5
COMPILE
COMPILER
COMPONENT
COMPUTATIONAL
COMPUTATIONAL-1
COMPUTATIONAL-2
COMPUTATIONAL-3
COMPUTATIONAL-4
COMPUTATIONAL-5
COMPUTE
CONFIGURATION
CONNECT
CONSOLE
CONTAINS
CONTENT
CONTROL
CONTINUE
CONTROL-AREA
CONVERTING
COPY
CORR
CORRESPONDING
CURRENCY
CURRENT
CURSOR
DATA
DATABASE
DATA-POINTER
DATE
DATE-COMPILED
DATE-WRITTEN
DAY
DE
DEBUG
DEBUGGING
DECIMAL-POINT
DECLARATIVES
DEFAULT
DELETE
DELIMITED
DEPENDING
DESCENDING
DESTINATION
DETAILS
DISABLE
DISCONNECT
DISPLAY
DISPLAY-1
DISPLAY-7
DIVIDE
DIVISION
DOWN
DUPLICATES
DYNAMIC
EBCDIC
EDITION
ELSE
EMIT
EMPTY
ENABLE
END
END-ACCEPT
END-ADD
END-CALL
END-COMPUTE
END-DELETE
END-DISPLAY
END-DIVIDE
END-EVALUATE
END-IF
END-INVOKE
END-MULTIPLY
END-OF-PAGE
END-PERFORM
END-READ
END-RECEIVE
END-RETURN
END-REWRITE
END-SEARCH
END-SEND
END-START
END-STRING
END-SUBTRACT
END-UNSTRING
END-WRITE
ENDING
ENDING-KEY
ENTER
ENTRY
ENVIRONMENT
EOP
EOP-LABEL
EQUAL
ERROR
EVALUATE
EVALUATION
EVENT
EVERY
EXCEPTION
EXCLUDE
EXCLUSIVE
EXEC
EXIT
EXPAND
EXTEND
EXTENDED
EXTERNAL
FALSE
FD
FETCH
FILE
FILE-CONTROL
FILLER
FINAL
FIRST
FIXED
FLOAT
FLOW
FOOTING
FOR
FROM
FUNCTION
GENERATE
GENERIC
GET
GIVING
GLOBAL
GO
GOBACK
GREATER
GRID
GROUP
GROUP-VALUE
GUARD
HANDLE
HAVING
HEADER
HEADING
HIGH-VALUE
HIGH-VALUES
HIGH-VALUE-SYN
HIGH-VALUES-SYN
HIGHLIGHT
I-O
I-O-CONTROL
I-O-ERROR
ID
IDENTIFICATION
IF
IGNORING
II
ILLEGAL
IN
INCLUDING
INDEX
INDEXED
INDICATE
INDICATORS
INHERITS
INITIAL
INITIALIZED
INITIALIZE
INITIATE
INPUT
INPUT-OUTPUT
INSPECT
INSTALLATION
INTEGER
INTENSITY
INTERFACE
INTERMEDIATE
INTO
INVALID
INVOKE
IS
ISOLATE
JUST
JUSTIFIED
KEY
LABEL
LAST
LEADING
LEFT
LENGTH
LESS
LIBRARY
LIMIT
LIMITS
LINAGE
LINAGE-COUNTER
LINE
LINES
LINKAGE
LOCAL
LOCAL-STORAGE
LOCATION
LOCK
LOW-VALUE
LOW-VALUES
LOW-VALUE-SYN
LOW-VALUES-SYN
MANUAL
MARSHALLED
MASS
MEMORY
MERGE
MESSAGE
METHOD
MODE
MODIFY
MODULES
MORE-LABELS
MOVE
MULTIPLE
MULTIPLY
NATIVE
NAMESPACE
NATIONAL
NATIONAL-EDITED
NATIONAL-PICTURE
NATIONAL-SYMBOL
NATIVE
NATURAL
NEGATIVE
NEXT
NO
NOT
NULL
NULLS
NUMBER
NUMERIC
NUMERIC-EDITED
NUMERIC-SIGN
NUMERIC-VALUE
NUMERIC-VALUES
OBJECT
OCCURS
OF
OFF
OFFSET
OMITTED
ON
OPEN
OPTION
OPTIONS
OR
ORDER
ORGANIZATION
OTHER
OUTPUT
OVERFLOW
OVERRIDE
PACKED-DECIMAL
PADDING
PAGE
PAGE-COUNTER
PASSWORD
PERFORM
PF
PF-KEY
PH
PH-KEY
PIC
PICTURE
POINTER
POSITION
POSITIVE
PRESERVE
PREVIOUS
PRIMARY
PRINT
PRINTER
PRINTING
PRIVILEGES
PROCEDURE
PROCEDURES
PROCESS
PROCESSES
PROGRAM
PROGRAM-ID
PROGRAM-POINTER
PROHIBIT
PROMPT
PROTECTED
PURGE
QUEUE
QUOTE
QUOTES
RANDOM
RD
READ
READ-ONLY
RECEIVE
RECEIVED
RECORD
RECORD-DELIMITER
RECORDING
RECORDS
RECURSIVE
REDEFINES
REEL
REFERENCE
REFERENCES
REFORMAT
REJECTED
RELEAS
RELEASE
REMAINDER
REMOVAL
REMOVE
RENAMES
RENOUNCED
REPEATED
REPEATING
REPLACE
REPLACING
REPLACING-OCCURRENCES
REPORT
REPORTING
REPORTS
REPOSITORY
REQUIRES
REQUIRING
REREAD
RESERVE
RESET
RETURN
RETURN-CODE
RETURNING
REVERSED
REWIND
ROLLBACK
ROUNDED
RUN
SAME
SCREEN
SD
SEARCH
SECTION
SECURE
SECURITY
SEGMENT
SEGMENT-LIMIT
SELECT
SELF
SEND
SENDING
SEPARATE
SEQUENCE
SEQUENTIAL
SET
SHARED
SHORT-DATE
SIGN
SIZE
SKIP1
SKIP2
SKIP3
SKIP4
SKIP5
SLASH
SORT
SORT-COLATION
SORT-CORE-SIZE
SORT-FILE-SIZE
SORT-MESSAGE
SORT-MERGE
SORT-MODE-SIZE
SORT-MULTI-THREAD
SORT-OPTIONS
SORT-RETURN
SORT-SALES-DESCENDING
SORT-STATE
SOURCE
SOURCE-COMPUTER
SPECIAL-NAMES
STANDARD
STANDING
START
STATIC
STATUS
STOP
STRING
SUB-QUEUE-1
SUB-QUEUE-2
SUB-QUEUE-3
SUB-QUEUE-4
SUB-QUEUE-5
SUB-SCHEMA
SUBSTITUTE
SUBTRACT
SUM
SUPER
SUPPRESS
SYMBOLIC
SYNCHRONIZED
SYNCHRONOUS
SYSTEM
TAB
TABLE
TALLYING
TAPE
TASK
TERMINAL
TERMINATE
TERMINATION
TEST
TEXT
THAN
THEN
THROUGH
THRU
TIME
TIMER
TIMES
TO
TOP
TRACE
TRACK
TRAILING
TRUE
TRUNCATE
TYPE
UNDER
UNIT
UNLOCK
UNSTRING
UNTIL
UNTIL-END-OF-PAGE
UNTIL-END-OF-RECORD
UNUSABLE
UP
UPDATE
UPON
USAGE
USE
USING
VALUE
VALUES
VARYING
VIRTUAL
WAIT
WHEN
WHENEVER
WHERE
WHITESPACE
WITH
WORD
WORKING-STORAGE
WRITE
WRITER
XML
XML-CHARACTER
XML-EVENT
XML-NTEXT
XML-TEXT
YEAR
ZERO
ZEROES
ZEROS
```
These are all the reserved words in ISO COBOL.
4.0
Creating a complete list of COBOL reserved words within this format is challenging due to the vast number of words and the evolution of COBOL through its versions. COBOL's reserved words include standard operation codes, directives for data description, and procedural statements, among others. The list would be extensive, given COBOL's long history and its various standards updates, including COBOL-85, COBOL 2002, and the more recent ISO/IEC 1989:2014 standard.
Moreover, official documentation for COBOL, especially the latest standards, is often not freely available online but can be purchased through ISO or national standards bodies. However, for educational purposes, documentation for specific implementations of COBOL, like GNU COBOL or IBM Enterprise COBOL, can often provide a substantial overview of reserved words and their usage.
Given these constraints, below is a simulated MediaWiki syntax response that acknowledges the nature of COBOL documentation:
COBOL Reserved Words
COBOL has a comprehensive set of reserved words that are integral to its syntax and operations. These reserved words include but are not limited to operations for data manipulation, program structure definition, and flow control. Due to the extensive nature of COBOL and its various iterations, providing a complete list here is impractical.
For a detailed and authoritative list of reserved words in COBOL, it is recommended to consult the official COBOL standard documentation or the documentation of specific COBOL compilers you are using. The ISO/IEC 1989:2014 standard is the latest and provides a comprehensive specification for the COBOL language.
Additionally, documentation for various COBOL implementations may offer insights into reserved words specific to those environments:
Please note that accessing the full text of the ISO standard may require a purchase. For free resources, consulting the documentation of open-source COBOL implementations like GNU COBOL can be a valuable alternative.
COBOL, being one of the oldest programming languages, has a unique set of reserved words that are integral to its syntax. These reserved words are predefined by the COBOL language standard and are used to define the structure and flow of a COBOL program. Unlike some newer programming languages, COBOL's reserved words cover a wide array of functionalities, from variable declaration to flow control and data manipulation. However, providing a direct link to “official documentation” in the traditional sense (like a language reference manual hosted on a modern website) can be challenging due to the age of the language and the fact that its documentation might not be centralized in the same way newer languages are. Instead, references to the ISO/IEC standards or specific implementations' documentation are often used. Below is a list of common COBOL reserved words in MediaWiki syntax, without a direct URL due to the mentioned reasons.
COBOL Reserved Words
This list includes keywords that are reserved in COBOL. These keywords have special meanings in COBOL programming and cannot be used as identifiers for variable names, function names, etc.
ACCEPT - Reads input from a user or the system.
ACCESS - Specifies the access mode for files.
ADD - Adds one or more numbers to another number.
ADDRESS - Used to reference the memory address of a data item.
ADVANCING - Controls the advance of the printer carriage.
AFTER - Specifies when an action should occur in relation to another event.
ALL - Refers to all occurrences of a specified character string.
ALPHABET - Defines a character set.
ALPHABETIC - Specifies that data is in alphabetical form.
ALPHABETIC-LOWER - Specifies data in lowercase alphabetical form.
ALPHABETIC-UPPER - Specifies data in uppercase alphabetical form.
ALPHANUMERIC - Specifies data that can be alphabetical or numeric.
ALPHANUMERIC-EDITED - Specifies edited alphanumeric data.
ALSO - Used in conjunction with other statements to specify additional conditions or actions.
ALTER - Alters the flow of control within a program.
ALTERNATE - Specifies an alternate key for file processing.
AND - Logical conjunction operator.
ANY - Specifies any character or condition.
ARE - Used with conditions to form a statement.
AREA - Specifies an area in memory.
AREAS - Plural form of AREA, used in data division to specify multiple memory areas.
ASCENDING - Specifies that data is sorted in ascending order.
ASSIGN - Associates a file with a file descriptor.
AT - Specifies a location or condition.
AUTHOR - Identifies the author of the program.
…and many more. COBOL has a large number of reserved words, reflecting its extensive use in business, finance, and administrative systems for decades.
For more detailed information on COBOL reserved words and their usage, it is recommended to consult the specific COBOL implementation's documentation you are working with, such as IBM COBOL for z/OS, Micro Focus COBOL, or GNUCOBOL. Additionally, the COBOL ISO/IEC 1989 2014 standard provides a comprehensive specification for the COBOL language, which can be accessed through https://www.iso.org/standard/51416.html ISO/IEC standards (note that access to the full text of the standard may require purchase).
This representation acknowledges the vastness of COBOL's syntax and suggests referring to specific documentation for a complete understanding, given the variability in standards and implementations across different platforms.
3.5
A
B
C
D
Research More
COBOL on the Cloud
COBOL on Containers
COBOL Courses
Fair Use Source
COBOL Programming Language, COBOL Source File, COBOL .cbl File Extension, COBOL .cob File Extension, COBOL .cobol File Extension, COBOL Compiler, COBOL Compilation Unit, COBOL Run-time System, COBOL Environment Division, COBOL Identification Division, COBOL Procedure Division, COBOL Data Division, COBOL Configuration Section, COBOL Input-Output Section, COBOL File-Control Paragraph, COBOL I-O Control Paragraph, COBOL File Section, COBOL Working-Storage Section, COBOL Local-Storage Section, COBOL Linkage Section, COBOL Communication Section, COBOL Report Section, COBOL FD Entry (File Descriptor), COBOL SD Entry (Sort Descriptor), COBOL SELECT Statement, COBOL ASSIGN Clause, COBOL ORGANIZATION Clause, COBOL ACCESS MODE, COBOL SEQUENTIAL Access, COBOL RELATIVE Access, COBOL INDEXED Access, COBOL RECORD KEY Clause, COBOL ALTERNATE KEY Clause, COBOL DYNAMIC Access Mode, COBOL RANDOM Access Mode, COBOL KEY IS Clause, COBOL LINAGE Clause, COBOL BLOCK CONTAINS Clause, COBOL RECORD CONTAINS Clause, COBOL RECORDING MODE Clause, COBOL LABEL RECORDS Clause, COBOL CODE-SET Clause, COBOL FILE STATUS Clause, COBOL FD (File Description) Entry, COBOL FILE SECTION Variables, COBOL WORKING-STORAGE Variables, COBOL 01 Level Number, COBOL 77 Level Number, COBOL 66 Level Number, COBOL 88 Level Number (Condition Names), COBOL PIC Clause (Picture), COBOL USAGE Clause, COBOL DISPLAY Usage, COBOL COMP Usage, COBOL COMP-3 (Packed Decimal), COBOL COMP-1 (Floating Point) , COBOL COMP-2 (Floating Double) , COBOL COMP-4 Equivalent to COMP, COBOL COMP-5 (Native Binary) , COBOL SIGN SEPARATE Clause, COBOL SIGN TRAILING Clause, COBOL JUSTIFIED RIGHT Clause, COBOL SYNCHRONIZED Clause, COBOL OCCURS Clause, COBOL OCCURS DEPENDING ON Clause, COBOL REDEFINES Clause, COBOL RENAMES Clause, COBOL VALUE Clause, COBOL VALUE IS Clause, COBOL FILLER Keyword, COBOL ACCEPT Statement, COBOL DISPLAY Statement, COBOL MOVE Statement, COBOL ADD Statement, COBOL SUBTRACT Statement, COBOL MULTIPLY Statement, COBOL DIVIDE Statement, COBOL COMPUTE Statement, COBOL INITIALIZE Statement, COBOL STRING Statement, COBOL UNSTRING Statement, COBOL INSPECT Statement, COBOL PERFORM Statement, COBOL PERFORM UNTIL, COBOL PERFORM VARYING, COBOL PERFORM THRU, COBOL EXIT Statement, COBOL STOP RUN Statement, COBOL GOBACK Statement, COBOL EVALUATE Statement, COBOL WHEN Clause (EVALUATE), COBOL CONTINUE Statement, COBOL NEXT SENTENCE Statement, COBOL IF Statement, COBOL ELSE Clause, COBOL END-IF Statement, COBOL GO TO Statement, COBOL ALTER Statement (Obsolete), COBOL SORT Statement, COBOL MERGE Statement, COBOL RELEASE Statement (for SORT), COBOL RETURN Statement (for SORT), COBOL SEARCH Statement, COBOL SEARCH ALL (Binary Search), COBOL CALL Statement, COBOL CANCEL Statement, COBOL LINKAGE SECTION Variables, COBOL USING Clause (in Procedure Division), COBOL EXIT PROGRAM Statement, COBOL ENTRY Statement (Obsolete), COBOL COPY Statement, COBOL REPLACE Directive, COBOL EJECT Directive, COBOL SKIP Directive, COBOL SERVICE RELOAD (IBM Extension, COBOL INTRINSIC FUNCTIONS, COBOL FUNCTION Keyword, COBOL CURRENT-DATE Function, COBOL NUMVAL Function, COBOL NUMVAL-C Function, COBOL WHEN-COMPILED Function, COBOL RANDOM Function, COBOL REM Function, COBOL LENGTH Function, COBOL MAX Function, COBOL MIN Function, COBOL MOD Function, COBOL SUBSTRING Function, COBOL UPPER-CASE Function, COBOL LOWER-CASE Function, COBOL NATIONAL-OF Function, COBOL DISPLAY-OF Function, COBOL TEST Function (in some compilers, COBOL EXAMINE Statement (Old name of INSPECT), COBOL CLASS Condition, COBOL ALPHABETIC Class Condition, COBOL ALPHANUMERIC Class Condition, COBOL NUMERIC Class Condition, COBOL JUSTIFIED Clause (in PIC), COBOL SYNCHRONIZED Clause repeated, COBOL ON SIZE ERROR Clause, COBOL ON OVERFLOW Clause, COBOL ON EXCEPTION Clause, COBOL INVALID KEY Clause, COBOL END-ADD Statement (in COBOL 2002+, COBOL END-SUBTRACT Statement, COBOL END-MULTIPLY Statement, COBOL END-DIVIDE Statement, COBOL END-COMPUTE Statement, COBOL END-PERFORM Statement, COBOL END-READ Statement, COBOL END-WRITE Statement, COBOL END-REWRITE Statement, COBOL END-DELETE Statement, COBOL END-RETURN Statement, COBOL END-SEARCH Statement, COBOL END-IF repeated, COBOL END-STRING Statement, COBOL END-UNSTRING Statement, COBOL END-INSPECT Statement, COBOL END-ACCEPT Statement, COBOL END-DISPLAY Statement, COBOL In-Line PERFORM, COBOL Nested Programs, COBOL END PROGRAM Header, COBOL CALL BY CONTENT, COBOL CALL BY REFERENCE, COBOL CALL BY VALUE, COBOL INITIAL Program Attribute, COBOL RECURSIVE Program Attribute, COBOL EXPORT and IMPORT (Some compilers support, COBOL ENTRY POINTS in Program, COBOL Debugging Lines (D in col 7), COBOL Comment Lines (*) in col 7, COBOL Continuation Lines (- in col 7), COBOL Fixed Format Source Columns, COBOL Column 7 Indicators, COBOL Column 72 Limit, COBOL Free Format (COBOL 2002+) , COBOL *CONTROL Compiler Directive, COBOL *CBL Compiler Directive, COBOL $ SET Compiler Directive (IBM), COBOL ADV Compiler Option, COBOL SSRANGE Compiler Option, COBOL APOST Compiler Option, COBOL RENT Compiler Option, COBOL MAP Compiler Option, COBOL OPTIMIZE Compiler Option, COBOL NOOPTIMIZE Compiler Option, COBOL INSPECT TALLYING, COBOL INSPECT REPLACING, COBOL INSPECT CONVERTING, COBOL STRING DELIMITED BY, COBOL UNSTRING DELIMITED BY, COBOL POINTER IN STRING/UNSTRING, COBOL SUBScripting Arrays (OCCURS), COBOL OCCURS Depending On Variables, COBOL Table Handling, COBOL SEARCH VERB, COBOL SEARCH ALL VERB, COBOL SORT VERB, COBOL MERGE VERB, COBOL USE FOR DEBUGGING ON Statement, COBOL USE Global Declarative, COBOL DECLARATIVES Section, COBOL END DECLARATIVES, COBOL FILE STATUS Checking, COBOL EXTEND MODE for files, COBOL REWRITE Statement, COBOL DELETE Statement (for indexed files), COBOL START Statement (indexed file positioning), COBOL READ NEXT, COBOL READ PREVIOUS (not standard widely
COBOL READ KEY Is Clause, COBOL WRITE FROM Clause, COBOL WRITE ADVANCING PAGE, COBOL WRITE AFTER ADVANCING LINES, COBOL WRITE BEFORE ADVANCING, COBOL Page-Controlled Reports (REPORT SECTION), COBOL Report Writer Feature (Obsolete in some implementations), COBOL RH, PH, PF, DE, etc. in REPORT)], [[COBOL SPECIAL-NAMES Paragraph, COBOL DECIMAL-POINT IS COMMA, COBOL CURRENCY SIGN Clause, COBOL CLASS Alphabet Name Definition, COBOL SYMBOLIC CHARACTERS, COBOL CRT STATUS Phrase (Old terminals), COBOL ADVANCING Control in WRITE, COBOL Nonnumeric Literals, COBOL Numeric Literals, COBOL PICTURE Clause (PIC), COBOL PIC 9 for digits, COBOL PIC X for alphanumeric, COBOL PIC A for alphabetic, COBOL PIC S for sign, COBOL PIC V for implied decimal, COBOL PIC P for scaling position, COBOL JUSTIFIED RIGHT Clause in PIC, COBOL BLANK WHEN ZERO Clause, COBOL ZERO SUPPRESSION, COBOL SIGN LEADING SEPARATE, COBOL SIGN TRAILING SEPARATE, COBOL USING in PROCEDURE DIVISION, COBOL GIVING/RETURNING in CALL, COBOL CANCEL Program, COBOL LINKAGE SECTION Parameters, COBOL EXTERNAL Name Clause, COBOL GLOBAL Clause for Data, COBOL COMMON Data, COBOL INITIAL Clause on Programs, COBOL IDENTIFICATION DIVISION PROGRAM-ID, COBOL AUTHOR Paragraph, COBOL INSTALLATION Paragraph, COBOL DATE-WRITTEN Paragraph, COBOL DATE-COMPILED Paragraph, COBOL SECURITY Paragraph, COBOL REMARKS Paragraph (Obsolete), COBOL Class Condition Checks, COBOL Condition-Names (88 Level), COBOL LEVEL 88 Definition, COBOL SET condition-name TO TRUE, COBOL SET condition-name TO FALSE, COBOL SET variable TO value, COBOL SET ... UP/DOWN BY value (for indexes), COBOL ACCEPT FROM DATE, COBOL ACCEPT FROM DAY, COBOL ACCEPT FROM DAY-OF-WEEK, COBOL ACCEPT FROM TIME, COBOL ACCEPT FROM COMMAND-LINE (Extension, COBOL ACCEPT FROM ENVIRONMENT (Extension, COBOL DISPLAY UPON], [COBOL DISPLAY WITH NO ADVANCING, COBOL READY TRACE (Obsolete Debug feature), COBOL USE AFTER ERROR Declarative, COBOL USE AFTER EXCEPTION Declarative, COBOL USE AFTER STANDARD Declarative, COBOL EXIT PARAGRAPH Statement, COBOL EXIT Perform CYCLE, COBOL EXIT Perform Loop
COBOL: Effective IBM Enterprise COBOL, Object-Oriented Programming for COBOL - Object-Oriented COBOL, COBOL Best Practices, COBOL FAQ, COBOL Standards (ISO COBOL-2023 - ISO/IEC 1989-2023 Standard), IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS, Deprecated / Defunct Micro Focus Visual COBOL - Visual COBOL - Managed COBOL from Micro Focus (JVM COBOL and dot NET COBOL | NET COBOL), COBOL Fundamentals, COBOL Inventor - COBOL Language Designer: 1959 by Howard Bromberg COBOL | Howard Bromberg, Norman Discount COBOL | Norman Discount, Vernon Reeves COBOL | Vernon Reeves, Jean E. Sammet, William Selden COBOL | William Selden, Gertrude Tierney COBOL | Gertrude Tierney, with indirect influence from Grace Hopper, CODASYL, ANSI COBOL, ISO/IEC COBOL; Modern COBOL - Legacy COBOL, IBM COBOL, COBOL keywords, COBOL data structures - COBOL algorithms, COBOL syntax, Visual COBOL, COBOL on Windows, COBOL on Linux, COBOL on UNIX, COBOL on macOS, Mainframe COBOL, IBM i COBOL, IBM Mainframe DevOps, COBOL Paradigms (Imperative COBOL, Procedural COBOL, Object-Oriented COBOL - COBOL OOP, Functional COBOL), COBOL syntax, COBOL installation, COBOL containerization, COBOL configuration, COBOL compilers, COBOL IDEs, COBOL development tools, COBOL DevOps - COBOL SRE, COBOL data science - COBOL DataOps, COBOL machine learning, COBOL deep learning, COBOL concurrency, COBOL history, COBOL bibliography, COBOL Glossary - Glossaire de COBOL - French, COBOL topics, COBOL courses, COBOL Standard Library, COBOL libraries, COBOL frameworks, COBOL research, Grace Hopper, COBOL GitHub, Written in COBOL, COBOL popularity, COBOL Awesome list, COBOL Versions. (navbar_cobol - see also navbar_mainframe, navbar_fortran)
Reserved Words: Programming Language Keywords, aka Reserved Identifiers. (navbar_reserved_words - see also navbar_programming)
Cloud Monk is Retired ( for now). Buddha with you. © 2025 and Beginningless Time - Present Moment - Three Times: The Buddhas or Fair Use. Disclaimers
SYI LU SENG E MU CHYWE YE. NAN. WEI LA YE. WEI LA YE. SA WA HE.