COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs (H06.03+)

Glossary
HP COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs—520347-003
Glossary-6
condition
condition. A proposition about the values of variables and literals of a program for which an
executing program can determine a truth value.
condition-name. One of these:
•
A user-defined word assigned to a specific value, set of values, or range of values
within the complete set of values that a conditional variable can have
•
A user-defined word assigned to the status of a switch
condition-name condition. A proposition that the value of a conditional variable is a
member of the set of values attributed to a condition-name associated with the
variable, for which an executing program can determine a truth value.
conditional expression. A simple condition or complex condition specified in an IF,
PERFORM, or SEARCH statement.
conditional statement. A statement that tells a process to determine the truth value of a
condition and to base subsequent execution of the object program on the truth value.
conditional variable. A data item that has one or more values to which the program
assigns a condition-name.
content parameter. A parameter that is passed by content (also called a value parameter).
A called program cannot permanently change the value of a content parameter.
Compare to reference parameter.
contiguous. See contiguous data items.
contiguous data items. Two or more data items that have a hierarchical relationship to
each other, which you describe by consecutive data description entries at the same
level (except consecutive level-01 entries) in the Data Division; for example:
01 ABLE.
02 BAKER PIC X(2).
02 CHARLIE PIC X(2).
02 DOG.
04 EASY PIC X(2).
04 FOX PIC X(2).
02 GOOSE PIC X(2).
BAKER, CHARLIE, DOG, and GOOSE are contiguous; EASY and FOX are
contiguous.
counter. A data item in which a process stores a number, or number representation, in a
way that the process can:
•
Increase or decrease the number by the value of another number
•
Change or reset the number to zero or to an arbitrary positive or negative value
CRE. See Common Run-Time Environment (CRE).