Introduction to COBOL - CIS12

Weekly Schedule

Week Information: Sample programs: Sample programs are available in two groups:
programs using screens used at the beginning of the semester and more traditional programs used later in the semester
Remember, 10% of your grade is strongly influenced by whether you get work in on time!
Programs: Unless specified differently on the program, programs are due in three weeks. When a program is passed in, it should include the logic flowchart, the rough code or notes that you made prior to writing the program, the program code and the output produced. For web students, the flowchart and rough code should be mailed, put under my door, or put in my box unless you have access to a scanner.
PowerPoint Presentations: Free PowerPoint viewer for 97,2000,2002 users
More information on downloads.
Note that the speaker notes are provided on a separate Word document if you are having trouble accessing them!
Week #14
Week of May 2nd
No new assignments! Let me know when you want me to send you the final - you have one week to do it!
Week #13
Week of April 25th
Look at the information on group printing and group indicating with breaks and the information on tables. Be sure you have looked at the notes under Breaks and Tables, the PowerPoint presentations under the Topics of Breaks and Tables, and the sample programs under Break processing and Tables/arrays.
Homework Assignment:
Table assignment to work with one table
Questions and problems dealing with tables
We will look at these in class as time permits.
Continue working on your programming assignments! Information about the final will be posted during the week.
Week #12
Week of April 18th
Please be sure to look at the PowerPoint presentations on breaks (one we may not get to until next week) and all of the sample programs under breaks (there are samples using minor breaks, major breaks, group printing and group indicating (some will be probably covered next week). Also please be sure to read the notes on breaks.
Next week we will review this information and go over the programming assignment in class.
Please be sure that you are passing in the homework assignments as well as the programs. If you are behind, this would be a good time to get caught up!
The next topic will be Tables and so at the end of the week, you should start to look at the material about tables.
Assignments to be passed in:
Break questions
Programming assignment:
Break assignment
The .cbl version of the program you need to modify
The .html version of the program you need to modify
The data for the break program
Week #11
Week of April 11th
We will continue to look at edit programs so continue looking at the notes and the examples as well as the Powerpoint.
Next topic is breaks.
Assignment to be passed in:
No new assignments - work on the program.
Contact me about the midsemester exam.
Week #10
Week of April 4th
Anyone who has completed the programs to avoid the midsemester by April 11th will get extra credit. I will accept these programs through April 11th to get out of the midsemester. Anyone who has not met the criteria by April 11th will have to take the midsemester (contact me via email for the exam). Students can choose to take the midsemester for extra credit. Ignore the dates inside the exam.
We are looking at edit programs. Again there are notes, examples and powerpoint presentations. Be sure to look at this program and this Presentation first: Sample edit program using screens being discussed - .html version
Edit screen PowerPoint presentation
Separate speaker notes to accompany edit screen PowerPoint presentation
You then need to look at the rest of the information under edit programs.
The programs: look under Editing data
The notes: look under Editing data for accuracy
The presentations: look under Topics - Editing
Exercise - not to be passed in: Edit exercise
Assignment to be passed in:
Your next programming assignment is: Programming assignment 3 - EDIT program
Be sure to look at the model programs - it will make this much easier to code.
Week #9
Week of March 28th
The next topic will be editing data. You should look at the notes and read the information under the topic Editing data for accuracy. You should also look at the sample programs under editing data (they are found at: Scroll down for the notes on Editing data). You should also look at the PowerPoint presentations under Topics - Editing.
Assignment to be passed in:
Work on your programs - actually I have posted the assignment for next week already so you can get started on that depending on where you stand.
Week #8
Week of Match 21st
It is getting close to mid semester time. If by the first of April, you have finished the first two programs in programming assignment #1 (that means they are running and I have them) and finished programming assignment #2 which was assigned last week, you can opt not to take the mid-semester exam. In that case the 10% of the grade will be included in homework and programs. Email me or ask me in class if you have questions!
Please continue to review math statements and go over the handouts on math statements. Please continue to look at all the sample programs under IF statements and be sure you look at this handout: Math IF statements
Please make sure you have read all of the notes under IF conditions, level 88 and case structures - they are at the note section: scroll down for the notes on IF conditions, level 88 and case structures
Your should also look at the programs with level 88 and case structure - they are located at the second programs page: scroll down for the programs with level 88 and case structure
Also be sure to go to presentations and make sure you have read all of the presentations on IF statements, the second programming assignment and level 88s - they are with the information on notes: scroll down for the presentations under Topics - IF statements
You also need to look at the examples and presentations on screen processing. Under programs go to screen processing - cont. Under presentations go to More on screen processing. You will find the information about color for the screen in these examples.
Assignment to be passed in:
Continue working on the assignments from last week.
Vacataion Week
Week of March 14th
Otherwise known as catch up week!
Week #7
Week of March 7th
Note: I did not cover full screens last week, so I moved them to this week.
Read the information on full screens, look at the screen examples and the PowerPoint presentations. The notes on full screen processing are at: Full screen processing.
The section on full screen examples is at: Full screen processing.
The PowerPoint presentations are at: Topic - Full Screens
This week we are going to look at numeric data, math, final totals, more on if statements and flowcharts. Kind of a little bit of everything week that will run into next week.
Look at all the information under numeric data: Notes
Also look at notes on compute: Compute
Be sure you go over the notes and sample programs for final totals.
These are final total notes for putting final totals on a report
Note that there are two presentations - one under New Introduction to COBOL presentations and one under Standard Introduction to COBOL presentations. Be sure you look at the following programs:
readtot.html putting totals on the screen (we have already looked at this)
final total program
Look at the other sample programs under Programs with final total lines - you will especially need to look at the fintot series since there is an assignment on them!
I would like to spend some more time on flowcharts and if statements. Please read the following flowcharting notes:
Introductory notes on flowcharting
Flowchart for simple read/write program - sample1.cbl
Flowchart with final totals
Review the notes on IF statements:
Notes on IF statements
Be sure you watch the PowerPoint presentation on IF statements (the first presentation under Topics - IF statements. Presentations
Assignment to be passed in:
Assignment on totals
IF statements - pick correct solutions
Program #2 Assignment - to be written and run on the computer:
Second programming assignment
Data file for the second programming assignment. Note that some students have had problems downloading the data file - send me an email and I will send it to you. I will also leave a copy in K-104.
Be sure to watch the PowerPoint presentation on the second programming assignment for some pointers on how to do it!
My email has been done for a while - I will hopefully be up and running soon!
Week #6
Week of February 28th
Introductory notes on programming in COBOL
Sample program with audio explanation
Sample program (SAMPLE1.CBL) with comments and input/output
xsample1.html This is the program to view and download following the download instructions.
Introductory concepts of programming These notes should be read now and read again later after you have done some programming. Some of the concepts will be easier to understand then.
Please read the notes on headers and look at the sample programs. I have not put the links for the samples here. If you go to sample programs, they are listed under headers.
Notes on headers
Program with input and output
Report layout and output of headers from SAMPLE2.CBL
Assignment to be passed in:
If program modifying my toys1.cbl program
Week #5
Week of February 21st
We will continue talking about IF statements - you should be looking at the sample programs, the PowerPoint presentations and the Notes on IF statements.
Assignment to be passed in:
This assignment will be started in class. All students need to do it and pass it in for a grade. In class IF practice
IF statement assignment
This math assignment can be done to improve a grade on the first math assignment or it can be done for extra credit
Week #4
Week of February 14th
We are also going to look at the program to read a file called READ1 (it is located under sample programs in the category (looping, creating and reading with screens). We are also going to look at the programs under the category conditions and totals with screens. The programs have names like readif1 etc. They are located at the location for the new sample programs: Sample programs using screens
You should also read the notes on looping. It can be found on the home page for the course under New Introduction. Notes to read
Specifically the can be found at Notes on looping
Also read the notes on if statements - usually I cover these later in the course, but I have decided to cover them now while we are looking at screen programs - we will revisit them later. The notes are at Notes on IF statments
The IF statement notes will be covered next week.
Assignment to be passed in:
Second half of programming assignment #1 Due in two weeks
Second data editing assignment
Week #3
Week of February 7th
We are going to continue to look at the math, numeric data and the compute statement that we started last week. If you have not looked at the notes and the sample programs, look at the things I asked you to read last week.
Please read the following notes on loops and files and check the program examples that it discusses.
Notes on looping examples: ADDDALP.CBL, CREATE1.CBL, READ1.CBL. The examples are under Sample Programs for CIS12: Programs to look at.
Please look at the accompanying slide show presentation (note you should read the notes and look at the presentation because they convey different information!).
Loops in COBOL screen programs
    Separate speaker notes to accompany Loops in COBOL screen programs
Remember, if you have a text book it is a great reference and you can check the topics being covered in the text book.
Note about editing: If data is being read from a file, you do not have an actual decimal point. However, if the user is inputing data on the screen then they should type in the decimal place to conform to the V in the input picture.
Assignment to be passed in:
First data editing/formatting assignment
First math assignment
First half of programming assignment #1
Note: On the file layout there is nothing for characters 27 through 40. These characters must be accounted for so when you are describing the file you should include an 05 FILLER with a picture that covers characters 27 through 40. Next week when you read this file, you need to have the same file description.
Week #2
Week of January 31st
Please look at the following PowerPoint Presentations:
Display/Accept program with Add
    Separate speaker notes to accompany Display/Accept program with Add - ADDDA.CBL
Mathematics with Display/Accept program
    Separate speaker notes to accompany Mathematics with Display/Accept program

Please read the following Notes:
Notes on ADDDA.CBL
Notes on mathematical calculations
Notes on numeric data
Notes on the COMPUTE statement

Look at programs ADDDA1.CBL through ADDDA6.CBL which deal with the samples discussed in the slide shows. They are listed under Sample Programs for CIS12: Programs to look at.

Check back each week to see if I have added or changed anything.
Assignment to be passed in:
First program to write
Week #1 Assignments
Week of January 24th
You need to get a copy of COBOL if you plan to do the programs at home. The version used at the college is MicroFocus COBOL. It is available at: Information about a student version of COBOL. Note: There are other alternatives - this is compatible with the COBOL installed at BCC.
Instructions if you are using COBOL with XP or 2000
Introductory programming material:
Introductory Programming Concepts
Introductory COBOL material:
Please look at the following notes:
    Notes on Hello World program - HELLO.CBL
And look at the PowerPoint presentation that accompanies the notes (you may want to look at the presentation prior to reading the notes:
    Hello World PowerPoint presentation
    Separate speaker notes to accompany Hello World PowerPoint presentation - HELLO.CBL
This is the sample program (you will see the program best if you look at the version with the .html extension):
    hello.html
    hello.cbl
Information on downloading from the Web:
    Notes on downloading programs from the Internet
    Download programs from the Internet
    Separate speaker notes to accompany download programs from the Internet
To be passed in:
Write a simple program following the hello model to get comfortable with using COBOL.

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Send e-mail to Mrs. Grocer:
pgrocer@bristol.mass.edu

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