Write, Run & Share COBOL code online using OneCompiler's COBOL online compiler for free. It’s a reliable and accessible playground to practice and run COBOL code with ease. The compiler supports classic COBOL syntax and is great for learning, teaching, and experimenting with business logic programs.
COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) is a high-level programming language developed in the 1950s. It is primarily used in business, finance, and administrative systems for companies and governments. COBOL is known for its English-like syntax and is still widely used in legacy enterprise systems.
The following is a simple COBOL program that prints a greeting:
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. HELLO. PROCEDURE DIVISION. DISPLAY "Hello, OneCompiler!". STOP RUN.
In COBOL, input is typically handled using the ACCEPT keyword. Here’s an example that takes user input and prints it back.
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. GREET. DATA DIVISION. WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 01 USER-NAME PIC A(30). PROCEDURE DIVISION. DISPLAY "Enter your name: ". ACCEPT USER-NAME. DISPLAY "Hello, " USER-NAME "!". STOP RUN.
COBOL programs are divided into four divisions:
Variables are declared in the DATA DIVISION using PIC clauses.
01 AGE PIC 99. 01 NAME PIC A(20). 01 SALARY PIC 9(5)V99.
DISPLAY "Welcome to COBOL!". ACCEPT USER-INPUT.
IF AGE >= 18 DISPLAY "Eligible to vote." ELSE DISPLAY "Not eligible." END-IF.
PERFORM VARYING I FROM 1 BY 1 UNTIL I > 5 DISPLAY "Count: " I END-PERFORM.
This guide provides a quick reference to COBOL programming syntax and features. Start coding in COBOL using OneCompiler’s COBOL online compiler today!