Embed SQL statements in COBOL applications that use SQL

SQL statements can be coded in COBOL program sections as in this table.

SQL Statement	Program Section
BEGIN DECLARE SECTION END DECLARE SECTION DECLARE VARIABLE DECLARE STATEMENT	WORKING-STORAGE SECTION or LINKAGE SECTION
INCLUDE SQLCA INCLUDE SQLDA	WORKING-STORAGE SECTION or LINKAGE SECTION
INCLUDE member-name	DATA DIVISION or PROCEDURE DIVISION
Other	PROCEDURE DIVISION

Each SQL statement in a COBOL program must begin with EXEC SQL and end with END-EXEC. If the SQL statement appears between two COBOL statements, the period is optional and might not be appropriate. The EXEC SQL keywords must appear all on one line, but the remainder of the statement can appear on the next and subsequent lines.

Example

An UPDATE statement coded in a COBOL program might be coded as follows:

         EXEC SQL
           UPDATE DEPARTMENT
           SET MGRNO = :MGR-NUM
           WHERE DEPTNO = :INT-DEPT
         END-EXEC.

Comments in COBOL applications that use SQL
In addition to SQL comments (--), you can include COBOL comment lines (* or / in column 7) within embedded SQL statements except between the keywords EXEC and SQL. COBOL debugging lines (D in column 7) are treated as comment lines by the precompiler.
Continuation for SQL statements in COBOL applications that use SQL
The line continuation rules for SQL statements are the same as those for other COBOL statements, except that EXEC SQL must be specified within one line.
Include code in COBOL applications that use SQL
SQL statements or COBOL host variable declaration statements can be included by embedding the following SQL statement in the source code where the statements are to be embedded.
Margins in COBOL applications that use SQL
Code SQL statements in columns 12 through 72. If EXEC SQL starts before the specified margin (that is, before column 12), the SQL precompiler will not recognize the statement.
Sequence numbers in COBOL applications that use SQL
The source statements generated by the SQL precompiler are generated with the same sequence number as the SQL statement.
Names in COBOL applications that use SQL
Any valid COBOL variable name can be used for a host variable and is subject to the following restrictions:
COBOL compile-time options in COBOL applications that use SQL
The COBOL PROCESS statement can be used to specify the compile-time options for the COBOL compiler.
Statement labels in COBOL applications that use SQL
Executable SQL statements in the PROCEDURE DIVISION can be preceded by a paragraph name.
WHENEVER Statement in COBOL applications that use SQL
The target for the GOTO clause in an SQL WHENEVER statement must be a section name or unqualified paragraph name in the PROCEDURE DIVISION.
Multiple source COBOL programs and the SQL COBOL precompiler
The SQL COBOL precompiler does not support precompiling multiple source programs separated with the PROCESS statement.

Parent topic: Code SQL statements in COBOL applications