Some Cobol Interview Questions

jos.samuel · New User Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 3

Hello I am Samuel I have some doubts in cobol questions which i have posted, i need answer urgently reply soon.

1.Observe the following statements concerning READ statement : Identify
the TRUE statement :
a) AT END clause is not applicable to INDEXED files.
b) AT END NEXT SENTENCE is not allowed.
c) File must be open in the OUTPUT or I-O mode at the time READ is
executed.
d) READ NEXT is allowed only for DYNAMIC access.

2. Which of the foll. is an INCORRECT level number for a data-name?
a. 88 b. 13
c. 49 d. 01

3. What is the correct intrepretation of the statement
PERFORM PROCESS-THIS UNTIL MY-CONDITION
where the condition-name is defined as folls:
a. do the para PROCESS-THIS once if MY-VALUE has a value 1
b. keep repeating para PROCESS-THIS as long as MY-VALUE has a
value 1
c. keep repeating para PROCESS-THIS as long as MY-VALUE has a
value other than 1.
d. do the para PROCESS-THIS once if MY-VALUE has a value other
than 1.

4. A COBOL program when compiled gives an error at the Procedure
Division statement
ADD 10 TO COUNT-ITEMS
Which of the foll. situations could have caused the error?
a. COUNT-ITEMS has a PIC 999V9.
b. COUNT-ITEMS has a PIC ZZZ9.
c. COUNT-ITEMS is not initialised to zero anywhere in the
program
d. COUNT-ITEMS is declared in the FILE SECTION and not the
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.

5. A programmer used the IF clause:
IF RANGE-1 AND NOT RANGE-2
to describe a condition. Another programmer described the same
condition by the IF clause
IF TALLY-GROUP = 6 OR 7 OR 10
If these two condition specifications are identical which of the
foll. declarations applies to the situation?
a.
01 TALLY-GROUP PIC 99.
88 RANGE-1 VALUES 6 THRU 10.
88 RANGE-2 VALUES 1 THRU 5.
b.
10 TALLY-GROUP PIC 99.
88 RANGE-1 VALUES 6, 7, 10.
(Range-2 is any condition-name assiciated with TALLY-GROUP)
c.
10 TALLY-GROUP PIC 99.
88 RANGE-1 VALUES 6 THRU 10.
88 RANGE-2 VALUES 8, 9.
d.
10 TALLY-GROUP PIC 99.
88 RANGE-1-AND-NOT-RANGE-2 VALUES 6, 7, 10.

6. In case of relative files, if RELATIVE KEY phrase is also specified
with ACCESS MODE SEQUENTIAL, what will be the result of READ ?

7 .The use of the INVALID KEY clause helps the programmer in :
a) checking whether the key field has the correct contents.
b) checking for a device error.
c) checking whether a specific file exists.
d) checking whether a specified record exists in a file.

8. Consider the following statements:
MOVE 10 TO XYZ
PERFORM PARA-1 XYZ TIMES.
.................
PARA-1.
.........
MOVE 20 TO XYZ
.........
Which of the following would happen ?
a. PARA-1 would be performed 10 times only.
b. PARA-1 would be performed 20 times.
c. PARA-1 would be performed 21 times.
d. Run-time error occurs and the program aborts.

9. Study the following :
RECORD-II.
DN-1.
0 DN-2 PIC X(12).
0 DN-2A PIC 9(8).
DN-1A REDEFINES DN-1.
0 DN-3A PIC XXXX.
0 DN-3 PIC 9(6).
0 DN-3B PIC X(10).
DN-5 PIC X(5).
DN-6 PIC 9(5).
State which of the following statements is correct
a. 66 DN-8 RENAMES DN-2 THRU DN-3.
b. 66 DN-8 RENAMES DN-2 THRU DN-3A.
c. 66 DN-8 RENAMES DN-5 THRU DN-2A.
d. 66 DN-8 RENAMES DN-2A THRU DN-6.

10. Consider the statement :
IF D-1 = SPACE GO TO PARA-A.
Which of the following is true ?
a. PARA-A will be executed if D-1 contains a blank in the leftmost
position.
b. PARA-A will be executed if D-1 contains a blank in rightmost
position.
c. PARA-A will be executed if D-1 contains all blanks.
d. Syntax is invalid since SPACE cannot be used in a relation
condition statement.

11. Study the following:
A PIC x(7) VALUE "ABC#D".
D PIC X VALUE "#".
E PIC X(5) VALUE "PQ".
F PIC X(15) VALUE "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO".
P-1 PIC 99 VALUE 3.

STRING A SPACE E DELIMITED BY "#" INTO F WITH POINTER P-1 ON OVERFLOW DISPLAY "Error".
What will be the contents of F and P-1 after execution of the above:
a. ABC#PQGHIJKLMNO and 6 respectively.
b. ABCABCPQbbbLMNO and 11 respectively.
c. ABABCbPQbbbLMNO and 12 respectively.
d. Overflow condition would occur.
Note : "b" denotes blank in the above.

mcmillan · Site Admin Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 1210 Location: India

manoj_madhavan · New User Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

i think there is an error over tht answer.....

a declration of pic zzz9 is not alphanumeric....it is numeric 9(4) where 3 of the positions are put up for zero suppression....

jos.samuel · New User Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 3

Thank you very much for the answers.

Regards
Samuel

therasith · New User Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Posts: 52 Location: chennai

Question no 4

A COBOL program when compiled gives an error at the Procedure
Division statement
ADD 10 TO COUNT-ITEMS
Which of the foll. situations could have caused the error?
a. COUNT-ITEMS has a PIC 999V9.
b. COUNT-ITEMS has a PIC ZZZ9.
c. COUNT-ITEMS is not initialised to zero anywhere in the
program
d. COUNT-ITEMS is declared in the FILE SECTION and not the
WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.

Answer:

b. COUNT-ITEMS has a PIC ZZZ9.

The pic clause pic zzz9 [pictue edited]is used for only display purpose we cant use in arithematic functions.

ref
cobol 85 mk roy.

UNIVERSE · New User Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 11 Location: Mumbai

If the answer is 13, then it also suitable for 49.
If u cant declare a data name in Level number 13, then u cant do it in 49 also.
I hope the answer should be 88.
Plzzz go for cross-checking.....

Regards
Universe

UNIVERSE · New User Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 11 Location: Mumbai

If u dont Initialise the working storage variable, it takes a garbage value by default. To my Knowledge, answer for this Question is C.
Plzz Cross-Check......

mcmillan · Site Admin Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 1210 Location: India

Dear Universe,

therasith · New User Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Posts: 52 Location: chennai

Dears,

How we can declare these are invalid for data name.

we can declare in group memer followed by group level no 01.
if we want to declare (13,88 and 49) these values are must be come under group then right are wrong based on coding what have given.

if give like this

77 a pic 99.
13 b pic 99.
49 c pic xxx.
88 a pic x.

then now we can decide and clarify wrong data name.

So we cant tell about answers without coding.

This is My opinon.

priya · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 2:56 pm

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:22 am

Hi,

Once I read...'whenever we can ..we should fix errors..'. Good one, at least, I got one point to 'scold' McMillian...

, doesn't matter even if it comes in a thread 'dead' since last 3-years..

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

No, it's not an A/N field, but it can contain A/N data (not always, but sometimes).

BTW, a numed field can appear in an arith stmt if it is the final receiving field in a COMPUTE. Not sure about a GIVING field - never tried it.