COBOL PERFORM TIMES

• PERFORM...TIMES statement is used to execute a paragraph or section a certain number of times.
• It is both inline and outline.

Syntax -

PERFORM integer-1 TIMES
    Statements-block
END-PERFORM.

PERFORM paragraph-1
   [THRU paragraph-2] 
   integer-1 TIMES.

Parameters -

• paragraph-1 - The starting paragraph to be executed.
• THRU paragraph-2 - (Optional) If coded, indicates the end of a range of paragraphs to be executed. After executing this ending paragraph, control returns to the start of the range until the coded number of times is met.
• integer-1 - The number of times the paragraph(s) should be executed. This can be a numeric literal or a data item.

Practical Examples -

Scenario1 - Displaying loop iterations using inline PERFORM..TIMES.

Code -

----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+
       ...
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 WS-I         PIC 9(01) VALUE 1.
       ...
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
	       DISPLAY "Before Inline PERFORM...TIMES".
           PERFORM 6 TIMES
              DISPLAY "Iteration: " WS-I 
              COMPUTE WS-I = WS-I + 1
           END-PERFORM.
	       DISPLAY "After Inline PERFORM...TIMES".
           ...

Output -

Before Inline PERFORM...TIMES
Iteration: 1
Iteration: 2
Iteration: 3
Iteration: 4
Iteration: 5
Iteration: 6
After Inline PERFORM...TIMES

Scenario2 - Displaying loop iterations using outline PERFORM..TIMES.

Code -

----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+
       ...
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 WS-I         PIC 9(01) VALUE 1.
       ...
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
	       DISPLAY "Before Outline PERFORM...TIMES".
           PERFORM 1000-CALCULATE
              THRU 1000-EXIT
                 6 TIMES.
	       DISPLAY "After Outline PERFORM...TIMES".
           STOP RUN.

       1000-CALCULATE.
           DISPLAY "Iteration: " WS-I.
           COMPUTE WS-I = WS-I + 1.
       1000-EXIT.
            EXIT.

OUTPUT -

Before Outline PERFORM...TIMES
Iteration: 1
Iteration: 2
Iteration: 3
Iteration: 4
Iteration: 5
Iteration: 6
After Outline PERFORM...TIMES