WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2026
cobol
Correct CDF COBOL WORDS implementation and add GnuCOBOL aliases.
COBOL parser updated for CDF WORDS operands and GnuCOBOL $DISPLAY alias.
This commit corrects the implementation of COBOL WORDS operands in the CDF according to ISO standards, changing them from keywords to quoted literals. It also adds support for GnuCOBOL’s $DISPLAY directive as an alias for >>DISPLAY and reserves future boolean bit-operators like B_AND.
In Details
The cobol/parse.y grammar has been modified to recognize COBOL WORDS operands as quoted literals, aligning with ISO standards. Additionally, cobol/scan.l now handles $DISPLAY as an alias for >>DISPLAY specific to GnuCOBOL, and cobol/util.cc has updated the reserved-word list to include boolean bit-operators like B_AND in anticipation of their implementation.
For Context
- COBOL
- A compiled programming language designed for business applications. It is known for its verbose syntax and English-like structure.
- CDF
- Likely refers to 'Common Data Format' or a similar specification relevant to COBOL, indicating a set of rules or definitions for data handling.
- COBOL WORDS
- A specific construct or directive within COBOL, likely related to word processing or text manipulation, that is being corrected according to an ISO standard.
- quoted literals
- Text strings enclosed in quotation marks, treated as literal values rather than symbolic keywords or identifiers by the compiler.
- GnuCOBOL
- A free software compiler for the COBOL programming language, formerly known as OpenCOBOL.
- reserved-word list
- A set of keywords that have special meaning in a programming language and cannot be used as identifiers (variable names, function names, etc.).