Re: [Tiny-cobol-users] Parse error on blank cards.

[David E. <de...@us...>]

John R. Culleton wrote:

 > I have narrowed down my parse error to the following
 > circumstance. When I create a template program for COBOL
 > I cannot include the following:
 > 000150 INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION.
 > 000160 FILE-CONTROL.
 >
 > Unless I also include at least one SELECT statement. In other
 > words the following causes an error:
 >
 > 000070 ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
 > 000080
 > 000090 CONFIGURATION SECTION.
 > 000100 SOURCE-COMPUTER.   Linux.
 > 000120 OBJECT-COMPUTER.   Linux.
 > 000140
 > 000150 INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION.
 > 000160 FILE-CONTROL.
 > 000170
 > 000180 DATA DIVISION.
 >
 > ... but the following does not:
 >
 > 000070 ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
 > 000080
 > 000090 CONFIGURATION SECTION.
 > 000100 SOURCE-COMPUTER.   Linux.
 > 000120 OBJECT-COMPUTER.   Linux.
 > 000140
 > 000150 INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION.
 > 000160 FILE-CONTROL.
 > 000170     SELECT PRINTFILE ASSIGN TO PRINTER.
 > 000180 DATA DIVISION.
 > 000190

Actually the TC version of the 'INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION' conforms to the
COBOL 85 standard, which is as follows.

[ INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION. FILE-CONTROL. {file-control-entry} ...]

Meaning that the 'INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION' is optional, but if present it
must contain a  'FILE-CONTROL' clause and at least one or more
'file-control-entries'.


 > In the latter case the absence of a matching FD statement does
 > not cause an error.

Yes, that is a know bug.


 > OTOH OpenCobol allows the first configuration without complaint.
 > I like that better.

The specification may have changed for the COBOL 2002 standard or maybe 
added an extention.