COBOL LITERALS

• The actual values specified in program known as Literals
• For example,
          MOVE 800 TO AMOUNT.
• In above example, value ‘800’ will be moved to data name or variable AMOUNT. The value ‘800’ used in above statement is a literal
• A data name may have different values at various points of time, while Literal means the value that remains constant and unchanged throughout the execution of the program. For this reason, a literal is also referred as constant.
• Literal does not have a name; it represents itself and does not have to be defined in the DATA DIVISION.
• There are two type of literals:-
  1. Numeric
  2. Non-numeric

Numeric

• A numeric literal is made up of digits only. It can have ( + , - or decimal point (.) ).
• When no sign is specified, the numeric literal will be considered as positive.
• Negative literals are indicated by (-) minus sign at leftmost end.
• When no decimal point is specified, the literal is obviously an integer.
• If the decimal point is used, it must be placed between the digits.
• The maximum number of digits allowed in a numeric literal is compiler dependent
• Examples:-

  Valid Numeric Literals		Invalid Numeric literals and reason
  .4536		- 46 (Invalid as there is space after minus sign)
  18.5		“270” (Invalid as numeric literal but valid as Non numeric literal)
  -83.22

Non-numeric

• A non-numeric literal is used in general output messages or headings.
• Characters that are enclosed between “ “ constitute non-numeric literal
• The maximum number of character allowed within two quotation marks is compiler dependent
• Examples:-

  Valid Non-numeric literal		Invalid Non-numeric literals and reason
  "MAINFRAME"		7 (Valid as numeric but Invalid as Non-numeric)
  “NEW EMPLOYEE”		“One (invalid because there is no quotation mark on the right)
  “GRAND TOTAL”
  “PRICE/QUANTITY”
  “98.70”