HP COBOL II/XL Quick Reference Guide (31500-90015)

P- 5
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{| |} Within syntax statements, bars in braces are choice
indicators. One or more of the items within the choice
indicators must be specified, but a single option may be
specified only once.
[ ] Within syntax statements, brackets enclose optional
elements. In the following example, brackets around
,TEMP indicate that the parameter and its delimiter are
not required:
PURGE
filename [,TEMP]
When several elements within brackets are stacked, you
can select any one of the elements or none. In the
following equivalent examples, you can select
devicename
or deviceclass or neither:
[
devicename ]
SHOWDEV [
deviceclass ]
SHOWDEV [
devicename ]
[
deviceclass ]
Underlining in When it is necessary to distinguish user input from
dialog computer output, the input is underlined. See also
underlining on the previous page.
NEW NAME?
ALPHA
[ ] ... Brackets followed by a horizontal ellipsis indicate
either that a previous bracketed element may be repeated
zero or more times, or that elements have been omitted
from the description.
[WITH
DUPLICATES ] ...
The ellipsis shows that the preceding clause may be
repeated indefinitely.
{ } ... Braces followed by a horizontal ellipses indicate either
that the item within braces may be repeated one or more
times, or that elements have been omitted from the
description.
_ Within syntax statements, the space symbol _ shows a
required blank. In the following example, you must
separate
modifier and variable with a blank:
SET [(
modifier )]_( variable );
<, >, =, <=, These symbols are used in conditional statements to
>=, <> represent the keywords LESS THAN, GREATER THAN, EQUAL