Re: [open-cobol-list] Sections in PROCEDURE DIVISION

[Dave Stratford]

On 14 Mar, Chris Geldenhuis <address@hidden> wrote:
> Hi,

> I agree with Vince.In fact performing paragraphs is forbidden in our 
> shop as is the perform through construct.

> It is far to easy to add a paragraph in the range of a perform through 
> range and change the program logic unwittingly.

> Another banned construct is the alter verb.

> Both of the above make for code that is not maintainable over the long
> term.

Apart from when I was learning cobol at college I don't think in over 25
years I've ever seen, or written, a cobol program longer than about 10
lines of procedure division which didn't have sections. Even some of the 5
line procedure divisions are made up of a single section.

The primary reason for this is that sections are mandatory in IDMSX
programs as much of the standard IDMSX copy code is in sections.

I totally agree with Chris and Vince that sections make for simpler
maintenance and structuring.

I've given a few severe (verbal) beatings to people who use perform thru.
Anyone stupid enough to use it a second time would probably be looking for
another job very quickly; so far it's never happened.

To me, and a lot of people I have worked for and with in the past, perform
thru is FAR worse than go to.

Dave

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