Audience
This course is for graduate and new entrants who will go on to work in applications development within a Fujitsu VME environment.
Prerequisites
Delegates are expected only to have an aptitude for computing. No understanding of COBOL or the VME platform is expected.
Duration
15 days. Hands on.
Course Objectives
This VME COBOL programming course provides new entrants to the IT industry with a solid foundation in the use of COBOL. Using structured methods, you will learn to design, code and test COBOL applications in a VME environment. In addition to providing you with the skills to utilise the full COBOL syntax, this event also provides a good grounding in a basic program design method based on Jackson-like principles.
You will acquire the knowledge and skills to:
- Use Jackson-based techniques to design programs.
- Write COBOL source programs.
- Write the SCL required to drive a suite of COBOL programs.
- Use the SCL/COBOL interface.
- Use the DDS for copying file definitions.
- Create a program test plan and the associated test data.
- Effectively use ITS (Interactive Testing System).
- Use VME utilities (to sort, merge, copy, list and match records).
- Design and code (called) modules and handle parameters.
This is an intensive, very practical event, which requires evening work most days and therefore residential booking is recommended. This course has been designed by, and is delivered by, experienced COBOL consultant lecturers. To consolidate the more formal sessions, extensive, supervised, hands on practical work is integrated into the structure of this course. Tuition is supplemented by comprehensive course manuals.
Course Content
VME overview
SCL/COBOL communication
Filestore
Low volume input/output
Catalogue
Work introduction commands
MAC
More advanced data manipulation
SCL concepts
Character manipulation
HELP systems
Handling variable length records
VME screen editor
Modular programming
Types of programming task
Types of module
Structured program design
Linkage section
Data and program structures
External clause
Schematic logic
Other language modules
Fusion of data structures
Testing strategies
Collating files
Structure considerations
Comparison with flowcharts
Production of a testing plan
Introduction to COBOL
COBOL debugging facilities
Use and structure of language
ITS (Interactive Testing System)
Language specification and coding conventions
Optional use of program master
Identification and environment divisions
Utilities
Structure and layout
Sort/Merge records
Data division
Copy records
File and record descriptions
List records
Working storage
Match records
Redefining data areas
Append records
Data manipulation
Initialising data areas
Moving data in store
Editing fields for printed output
Arithmetic
Arithmetic verbs and expressions
Dealing with errors
Sequence control
Performing paragraphs and sections
Conditional statements
Unconditional branching
Internal data formats
Data Dictionary system
DDS concepts
Copy DDS file descriptions
Viewing using DISPLAY and LIST
Table handling
Single and multi-level tables
Subscripting
Handling iterations
Indexed tables
Searching tables
File structures and manipulation
Sequential
Indexed sequential
Hashed random
Relative
Use of System Control Language
Create and assign files and libraries
Compile, run and edit COBOL programs
Safeguard files