Data Item

Data Item Example

Data Item Declaration Tutorial   

Scenario - Explaining about different types of data items declaration in COBOL program.

Code -

----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5----+
       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. WORDEX.
       AUTHOR. MTH.

       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
      * Individual data item
       01 LEVEL-1       PIC 9(03) VALUE 256.
      * Group data item
       01 LEVEL-GROUP.
      * Elementary data items
          05 LEVEL-21       PIC 9(03) VALUE 256.
          05 LEVEL-22       PIC 9(03) VALUE 128.

       PROCEDURE DIVISION.

           DISPLAY 'INDIVIDUAL DATA ITEM   : ' LEVEL-1. 
           DISPLAY 'GROUP DATA ITEM        : ' LEVEL-GROUP.
           DISPLAY 'ELEMENTARY DATA ITEM-1 : ' LEVEL-21. 
           DISPLAY 'ELEMENTARY DATA ITEM-2 : ' LEVEL-22.
		   
           STOP RUN.

Output -

INDIVIDUAL DATA ITEM   : 256
GROUP DATA ITEM        : 256128
ELEMENTARY DATA ITEM-1 : 256
ELEMENTARY DATA ITEM-2 : 128

Explaining Example -

In the above example:

  • The LEVEL-1 individual data item is declared and initialized with the value 256. LEVEL-GROUP is declared as a group data item with two elementary data items - LEVEL-21 and LEVEL-22.
  • LEVEL-GROUP displays the data of both elementary data items LEVEL-21 and LEVEL-22.