Reports in Cobol

sriteja · New User Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 15 Location: Hyderabad

Hi:

My question is

A report will be printing both detail and total records. If the input control field is equal to the hold area control field, what processing should be performed?

a. Print the total record for the record in the hold area and zero out totals
b. Print the detail record and increment the total being accumulated.

Could you please let me know what the right answer is.

Thanks
sriteja

mmwife · Super Moderator Joined: 30 May 2003 Posts: 1592

Hi Sriteja,

These kinds of questions are valuable to an employer to determine what a propective employee knows, but it's even more valuable to you because it gives you an opportunity to hone your programming skills.

Before we give you the ans why don't you tell us what your thinking on the subject is. You don't have to be right on in your ans. It can just be a starting point for the ultimate ans and it might get you to understand (and enjoy) the problem solving aspects of the job.

sriteja · New User Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 15 Location: Hyderabad

Hi mmwife:

I feel the answer is option b i.e. print the detail record and increment the totals.
But I have seen some reports where there are sub-totals in each page and a final total at the end.
So it altogether becomes a question of requirement of the report.

I posted this query to know if one of the two options is much desirable than the other.

Thanks
Sriteja