1.1 Overview of Reference Manual

ACUCOBOL(tm)-GT is part of the extend(tm) family of Acucorp solutions. ACUCOBOL-GT is an implementation of the COBOL-1985 programming language (ANSI X3.23-1985 and the ANSI X3.23a-1989 supplement). This manual provides a full technical description of the ACUCOBOL-GT language. It is written in a style similar to the official ANSI definition of COBOL and is designed for experienced COBOL programmers. Intended as a reference, it does not try to teach programming or the COBOL language. Readers interested in a more general introduction to COBOL may want to consider classes or commercially available textbooks.

Note: Software installation instructions are located in a separate booklet titled "Getting Started".

This manual uses a meta-language to describe the ACUCOBOL-GT syntax. This meta-language follows the conventions used in most COBOL manuals as well as the ANSI standard. These conventions are described below.

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, the references to "Windows" and "Windows NT" in this manual denote all 32-bit versions of the Windows and Windows NT operating systems. Those versions are: Windows 95, 98 and ME, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000. In those instances where it is necessary to make a distinction among the individual versions of those operating systems, we refer to them by their specific version numbers ("Windows 2000", "Windows NT 4.0", etc.).

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1.1.1 Upper-Case and Special-Character Words

1.1.2 Lower-Case Words

1.1.3 Brackets, Braces and Vertical Bars

1.1.4 Ellipses

1.1.5 Shading