COBOL Reserved Word Example

Reserved WordDescription
Keywords For example - 
ACCEPT
ADD
ALPHABET
ALPHABETIC
ALPHANUMERIC
ASCENDING
ASSIGN
AUTHOR 
...
Optional words For example - 
SKIP1
SKIP2
SKIP3
ROUNDED
...
Figurative constants For example - 
ZERO, ZEROS, ZEROES
SPACE, SPACES
HIGH-VALUE, HIGH-VALUES
LOW-VALUE, LOW-VALUES
QUOTE, QUOTES
NULL, NULLS
...
Special character words
  • Arithmetic operators: + - / * **
    For example - 
    COMPUTE WS-SUM = WS-A + WS-B.
COMPUTE WS-SUB = WS-A - WS-B. 
COMPUTE WS-DIV = WS-A / WS-B.
COMPUTE WS-MUL = WS-A * WS-B. 
COMPUTE WS-EXP = WS-A ** WS-B.

  • Relational operators: < > = <= >=
    For example - 
    IF WS-A < WS-B 
IF WS-A > WS-B
IF WS-A = WS-B
IF WS-A <= WS-B
IF WS-A >= WS-B

  • Floating comment indicators: *>
    For example - 
    COPY COPYBOOK REPLACING ==:WS:== BY ==WS1==.
  • Compiler directive indicators: >>
Special registers For example - 
ADDRESS OF
LENGTH OF
WHEN-COMPILED
...