The Object-Computer Paragraph

The Object-Computer paragraph provides a means of describing the computer on which the runtime module created by the compiler is to be executed.

It is optional.

The MEMORY SIZE clause and SEGMENT-LIMIT clause are classed as obsolete elements in the ANSI'85 standard and are scheduled to be deleted from the next full revision of the ANSI standard.

All dialects within this COBOL implementation support the MEMORY SIZE clause and SEGMENT-LIMIT clause for documentary purposes only. The FLAGSTD Compiler directive can be used to detect occurrences of this syntax.

Although they are part of the standard COBOL definition, the MEMORY SIZE clause and SEGMENT-LIMIT clause are explicitly excluded from the X/Open COBOL language definitions and should not be used in a conforming X/Open COBOL source program.

General Format


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Syntax Rules

  1. Object-computer-name must be one user-defined COBOL word.
  2. The Object-Computer paragraph can consist of only the OBJECT-COMPUTER header.

General Rules

  1. The computer-name provides a means for identifying equipment configuration. The configuration definition contains specific information concerning the memory size. The computer-name and the MEMORY SIZE clause are documentary only.
  2. If the PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE clause is not specified, the native collating sequence is used. The appendix Character Sets and Collating Sequences lists both the full ASCII and EBCDIC collating sequences. Either can be chosen as the native collating sequence by use of the NATIVE Compiler directive.
  3. If the PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE clause is specified, the program collating sequence is the collating sequence associated with the alphabet-name specified in that clause.
  4. The program collating sequence established in the Object-Computer paragraph is used to determine the truth value of any nonnumeric comparisons:
    1. Explicitly specified in relation conditions (see the topic Relation Condition in the chapter Procedure Division).
    2. Explicitly specified in condition-name conditions; see the topic Condition-Name Condition (Conditional Variable) in the chapter Procedure Division.
  5. The PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE clause is also applied to any nonnumeric merge or sort keys unless the COLLATING SEQUENCE phrase of the respective SORT or MERGE statement is specified.
  6. The PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE clause has no effect on the ordering of indexed files.
  7. The PROGRAM COLLATING SEQUENCE clause applies only to the source element in which it is specified

    ANS85 and source elements contained within it

  8. The SEGMENT-LIMIT clause is documentary only. (See the topic Segmentation.)
Related information
Character Sets and Collating Sequences
Relation Condition
Condition-Name Condition (Conditional Variable)
Segmentation