Microsoft KB Archive/38280

“Unknown Data Description Qualifier”; LENGTH Is Reserved Word

PSS ID Number: Q38280 Article last modified on 04-20-1993

3.00 3.00a | 3.00 3.00a MS-DOS | OS/2

Summary: The example on Page 8-11 of the “Microsoft COBOL Version 3.0: Operating Guide” mistakenly uses the reserved word LENGTH as a data name. This will cause an error at compile time. The data name LENGTH should be changed to a non-reserved word. The code example below, when compiled with the default parameters, will return the following error: ** 233-S ************** ** Unknown data description qualifier The following is a code example: working-storage section. 01 function pic 99 comp-x value 8. 01 parameter. 03 LENGTH pic 99 comp-x value 20. procedure division. display “test”. stop run. To make the above program compile, you will need to change the reserved word LENGTH to some other data name, such as PATH-LENGTH.

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.00a Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.