Describing the computing environment

Use the CONFIGURATION SECTION to specify the following items:

• Computer for compiling the program (in the SOURCE-COMPUTER paragraph)
• Computer for running the program (in the OBJECT-COMPUTER paragraph)
• Special items such as the currency sign and symbolic characters (in the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph)
• User-defined classes (in the REPOSITORY paragraph)

Use the FILE-CONTROL and I-O-CONTROL paragraphs of the INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION to:

• Identify and describe the characteristics of the files in the program.
• Associate your files with the external QSAM, VSAM, or z/OS® UNIX file system data sets where they physically reside.

  The terms file in COBOL terminology and data set in operating-system terminology have essentially the same meaning and are used interchangeably in this information.

  For Customer Information Control System (CICS®) and online Information Management System (IMS) message processing programs (MPP), code only the ENVIRONMENT DIVISION header and, optionally, the CONFIGURATION SECTION. Do not code file definitions in your COBOL programs that will run under CICS. IMS allows COBOL definition of files only for batch programs.

• Provide information to control efficient transmission of the data records between your program and the external medium.

Example: FILE-CONTROL entries