COBOL Manual for TNS/E Programs (H06.08+, J06.03+)

on the line depends on the column in which the character-string begins. It might take a few
compilations before you have the literal string divided properly over multiple lines.
Area A
Area A begins at Margin A and uses columns 8 through 11. These must begin in area A:
• Division names
• Section headers
• Paragraph headers
• These level indicators and level numbers for the Data Division:
FD (file descriptions)◦
◦ SD (sort-merge file descriptions)
◦ Level-numbers 01 and 77
Level-numbers 02 through 49, 66, and 88 can begin in either area A or area B.
Area B
Area B begins at Margin B and uses columns 12 through 72. Sentences within a paragraph must
begin in area B. Level-numbers 02 through 49, 66, and 88 can begin in either area A or area B.
Identification Field
The identification field begins at Margin R and uses columns 73 through 80. The identification
field can contain any ASCII characters. The compiler treats it as a comment.
704 ANSI Reference Format