The Wiley COBOL Syntax Reference Guide: With IBM and VAX Enhancements

Teaches students to design programs that are easy to read, debug, modify and maintain, and write well-designed, elementary to advanced structured COBOL programs in their entirety. Will also familiarize students with programming tools such as pseudocode and hierarchy charts that make program logic more structured, modular and top-down. There is now a manual for getting started with Ryan-McFarland (RM) COBOL-85 and Microsoft COBOL for IBM PCs; an educational version of the RM COBOL compiler along with key data and program files is available. The examples, illustrations, self-tests and reviews, as well as the practice programs and programming assignments are now more business-oriented, interesting and challenging. COBOL 85 has been fully integrated into the text, including new ANSI-approved features, and systems analysis and database design concepts such as data validation, error control procedures, file and report design, and screen layout are described in detail. Features a COBOL Syntax Reference Guide that allows ``hands-on'' training at terminals and PCs, and includes VAX and IBM enhancements.