COBOL PROCEDURE DIVISION












PROCEDURE DIVISION


This division contains the actual program logic.  Program 
logic can be divided into sections and paragraphs.  One 
Section contains One or more paragraphs.  One paragraph 
contains one or more number of sentences.  A sentence is a 
series of one or more COBOL statements ending with a period. 
A Satement starts with COBOL verb.  

Example - 

            MOVE A TO B
            COMPUTE  C = B + D.


In above example sentence starting with COBOL verb MOVE and 
it also contains another verb COMPUTE. This sentence ended by 
a period. This sentence contains two statements.  
One is MOVE A TO B, Second Statement is COMPUTE C = B + D.


Below example shows the syntax of PROCEDURE DIVISION.

PROCEDURE DIVISION.
  ...
< user-defined-section-name SECTION>  ....
< user-defined-para-name>. ... ]....  


Without section, we can code paragraph.  In most programs, the 
need of SECTION wont arise. Section & Paragraph Names are 
userdefined names. Starts in Area A. Ends with a period. In case 
of section name, userdefine name followed with SECTION word as 
showed in above example.

Paragraph body ends when another para name or section name apears
or end of the procedure division.


Example - 

100-FIRST-OPEN-PARA.
      ...
      ...
100-FIRST-LOGIC-PARA.
      ...
      ...
100-FIRST-CLOSE-PARA.
      ...
      ...