 






     Software
     Product
     Description

     ________________________________________________________________

     PRODUCT NAME:  VAX COBOL, Version 4.4               SPD 25.04.22

     DESCRIPTION

     VAX COBOL is a high level language for business data process-
     ing that operates under the VMS Operating System, taking full
     advantage of the system facilities and the VAX Information
     Architecture. It is based upon the 1985 ANSI COBOL Standard
     X3.23-1985.

     VAX COBOL shares some common syntax with COBOL-81/RSTS/E and
     COBOL-81/RSX and includes a COBOL-81 subset flagger. It is
     integrated with the VAX Information Architecture and includes
     various Digital extensions to COBOL, including screen handling
     at the source language level.

     VAX COBOL has been validated by the National Bureau of Standards
     for conformance to ``FIPS PUB 21-2, Federal Standard COBOL'' at
     the high level.

     Two features provide access to the VAX Information Architecture
     from VAX COBOL. The Data Manipulation Language (DML) allows
     users to access DBMS databases with VAX DBMS. VAX DBMS must
     be installed to use this feature. The COPY FROM DICTIONARY
     statement, a Digital extension to COBOL, allows access to common
     record definitions stored in VAX CDD/Plus. VAX CDD/Plus must be
     installed to use this feature.

     VAX COBOL, COBOL-81/RSTS/E and COBOL-81/RSX share many common
     features. These features are implemented with the same syntax
     and semantics on both compilers. In this way, a VMS system
     may be used to develop code that will eventually be compiled
     using COBOL-81. A COBOL-81 subset flagger may be used to check

                                  DIGITAL               February 1991

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     VAX COBOL, Version 4.4                              SPD 25.04.22



     code designed for eventual use on COBOL-81. Additionally, code
     developed using COBOL-81 may be migrated to VAX COBOL.

     The following Digital extensions to COBOL are implemented in VAX
     COBOL:

     o  Screen handling is implemented using the DISPLAY and ACCEPT
        statements. The DISPLAY statement enables the programmer to
        display information or prompts anywhere on a video screen.
        The ACCEPT statement takes information typed anywhere on
        the screen and returns the value to a running VAX COBOL
        program. The DISPLAY statement converts data from internal
        numeric format to ``ASCII display format''; and the ACCEPT
        WITH CONVERSION statement converts ``ASCII display'' input
        characters to internal numeric formats as appropriate. The
        terminal-type is recognized at run-time from information
        provided by the operating system.

     o  RMS-STS and RMS-STV special registers may be examined to
        assist debugging. These registers contain status values from
        the Record Management System (VAX RMS).

     o  File sharing and record locking features enable more than one
        user to access data at the same time.

     o  Many file capabilities are available through VAX RMS in-
        cluding extensions for descending keys and duplicate primary
        keys.

     o  Conditional compilation serves to make debugging easier.

     o  The /INSTRUCTION_SET qualifier customizes object code gen-
        eration to target the different classes of VAX processors,
        maximizing specific processor features.

     VAX COBOL implements several statements designed to make pro-
     gramming easier in the VMS environment:

     o  VALUE IS EXTERNAL - Access to link time constants

     o  USAGE IS POINTER - Address data type

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     VAX COBOL, Version 4.4                              SPD 25.04.22



     o  VALUE IS REFERENCE - Compile time address evaluation

     o  SET TO REFERENCE - Run-time address evaluation

     o  SUCCESS/FAILURE - Class conditions

     Other extensions include:

     o  Thirty-one character user-names

     o  ACCEPT AT END statement

     o  Single-quote-delimited, non-numeric literals

     o  Hyphen/underscore equivalence in user-names

     o  Non-numeric literal argument passing

     The VAX COBOL compiler produces an object module from a source
     program. The compiler is capable of producing a source listing
     with embedded diagnostics indicating the line and position
     of a source-code error, a machine language listing, a file-
     name map, a data-name map, a procedure-name map, an external
     program name map, subschema information and a cross-reference
     listing. The cross-reference listing and maps may be produced
     in either alphabetical order or in order of declaration. The
     cross-reference listing distinguishes destructive references to
     data from read-only references.

     VAX COBOL provides support for error diagnostics and cross-
     reference information to VAX Language-Sensitive Editor/Source
     Code Analyzer. Additionally, VAX COBOL provides support for the
     processing of pseudocode and design comments which are used by
     VAX Language-Sensitive Editor/Source Code Analyzer for low level
     program design.

     Object modules produced by the compiler can be linked with other
     object modules produced by many other languages, including VAX
     BASIC and VAX FORTRAN. VAX COBOL is supported by both the VAX
     Common Run-Time Library (VAX RTL) and the VAX Symbolic Debugger.

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     VAX COBOL, Version 4.4                              SPD 25.04.22



     The VAX COBOL product includes a COBOL compiler and the REFORMAT
     Utility. The REFORMAT Utility converts source programs from
     Digital terminal format to ANSI-standard COBOL format and vice
     versa.


     HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

     VAX, MicroVAX, VAXstation or VAXserver configuration as speci-
     fied in the System Support Addendum (SSA 25.04.22-x).

     SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

     For Systems Using Terminals (No DECwindows Interface):

     VMS Operating System

     For Workstations Running VWS:

     VMS Operating System
     VMS Workstation Software

     For Workstations Running DECwindows:

     VMS Operating System (and necessary components of VMS DECwin-
     dows)

     VAX COBOL supports a DECwindows compiler interface for com-
     pile qualifier selection on workstations. This interface is
     accessible from FileView.

     Refer to the System Support Addendum (SSA 25.04.22-x) for avail-
     ability and required versions of prerequisite/optional software
     and for information regarding components of VMS DECwindows.





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     VAX COBOL, Version 4.4                              SPD 25.04.22



     ORDERING INFORMATION

     Software Licenses: QL-099A*-**
     Software Media: QA-099A*-**
     Software Documentation: QA-099AA-GZ
     Software Product Services: QT-099A*-**

     *  Denotes variant fields. For additional information on avail-
        able licenses, services, and media, refer to the appropriate
        price book.

     SOFTWARE LICENSING

     This software is furnished under the licensing provisions of
     Digital Equipment Corporation's Standard Terms and Conditions.
     For more information about Digital's licensing terms and poli-
     cies, contact your local Digital office.

     LICENSE MANAGEMENT FACILITY SUPPORT

     This layered product supports the VMS License Management Fa-
     cility. License units for this product are allocated on a
     CPU-capacity basis.

     For more information on the License Management Facility, refer
     to the VMS Operating System Software Product Description (SPD
     25.01.xx) or the License Management Facility manual of the VMS
     Operating System documentation set.

     For more information about Digital's licensing terms and poli-
     cies, contact your local Digital office.

     SOFTWARE PRODUCT SERVICES

     A variety of service options are available from Digital. For
     more information, contact your local Digital office.



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     VAX COBOL, Version 4.4                              SPD 25.04.22



     SOFTWARE WARRANTY

     Warranty for this software product is provided by Digital with
     the purchase of a license for the product as defined in the
     Software Warranty Addendum of this SPD.

     [TM] The DIGITAL Logo, VAX COBOL, CI, VAX,
          MicroVAX, VAXstation, VAXserver, VAXcluster, VMS, VAX
          CDD/Plus, RSX, DBMS, DECwindows, and VT are trademarks
          of Digital Equipment Corporation.





























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