Provided by: gnucobol_2.2-5_amd64 
NAME
cobc - manual page for cobc (GnuCOBOL) 2.2.0
SYNOPSIS
cobc [options]... file...
DESCRIPTION
GnuCOBOL compiler for most COBOL dialects with lots of extensions
OPTIONS
-h, -help
display this help and exit
-V, -version
display compiler version and exit
-i, -info
display compiler information (build/environment) and exit
-v, -verbose
display compiler version and the commands invoked by the compiler
-vv, -verbose=2
like -v but additional pass verbose option to assembler/compiler
-vvv, -verbose=3
like -vv but additional pass verbose option to linker
-q, -brief
reduced displays, commands invoked not shown
-### like -v but commands not executed
-x build an executable program
-m build a dynamically loadable module (default)
-j [<args>], -job[=<args>]
run program after build, passing <args>
-std=<dialect>
warnings/features for a specific dialect <dialect> can be one of: default, cobol2014, cobol2002,
cobol85, xopen, ibm-strict, ibm, mvs-strict, mvs, mf-strict, mf, bs2000-strict, bs2000,
acu-strict, acu, rm-strict, rm; see configuration files in directory config
-F, -free
use free source format
-fixed use fixed source format (default)
-O, -O2, -O3, -Os
enable optimization
-g enable C compiler debug / stack check / trace
-d, -debug
enable all run-time error checking
-o <file>
place the output into <file>
-b combine all input files into a single dynamically loadable module
-E preprocess only; do not compile or link
-C translation only; convert COBOL to C
-S compile only; output assembly file
-c compile and assemble, but do not link
-T <file>
generate and place a wide program listing into <file>
-t <file>
generate and place a program listing into <file>
--tlines=<lines>
specify lines per page in listing, default = 55
--tsymbols
specify symbols in listing
-P[=<dir or file>]
generate preprocessed program listing (.lst)
-Xref specify cross reference in listing
-I <directory>
add <directory> to copy/include search path
-L <directory>
add <directory> to library search path
-l <lib>
link the library <lib>
-A <options>
add <options> to the C compile phase
-Q <options>
add <options> to the C link phase
-D <define>
define <define> for COBOL compilation
-K <entry>
generate CALL to <entry> as static
-conf=<file>
user-defined dialect configuration; see -std
-list-reserved
display reserved words
-list-intrinsics
display intrinsic functions
-list-mnemonics
display mnemonic names
-list-system
display system routines
-save-temps[=<dir>]
save intermediate files - default: current directory
-ext <extension>
add file extension for resolving COPY
Warning options:
-W enable all warnings
-Wall enable most warnings (all except as noted below)
-Wno-<warning>
disable warning enabled by -W or -Wall
-Wno-unfinished
do not warn if unfinished features are used - ALWAYS active
-Wno-pending
do not warn if pending features are mentioned - ALWAYS active
-Wobsolete
warn if obsolete features are used
-Warchaic
warn if archaic features are used
-Wredefinition
warn incompatible redefinition of data items
-Wtruncate
warn field truncation from constant assignments
-Wpossible-truncate
warn possible field truncation - NOT set with -Wall
-Woverlap
warn overlapping MOVE items
-Wpossible-overlap
warn MOVE items that may overlap depending on variables - NOT set with -Wall
-Wparentheses
warn lack of parentheses around AND within OR
-Wstrict-typing
warn type mismatch strictly
-Wimplicit-define
warn implicitly defined data items
-Wcorresponding
warn CORRESPONDING with no matching items
-Winitial-value
warn if initial VALUE clause is ignored
-Wprototypes
warn missing FUNCTION prototypes/definitions
-Warithmetic-osvs
warn if arithmetic expression precision has changed
-Wcall-params
warn non 01/77 items for CALL params - NOT set with -Wall
-Wconstant-expression
warn expressions that always resolve to true/false
-Wcolumn-overflow
warn text after program-text area, FIXED format - NOT set with -Wall
-Wterminator
warn lack of scope terminator END-XXX - NOT set with -Wall
-Wlinkage
warn dangling LINKAGE items - NOT set with -Wall
-Wunreachable
warn likely unreachable statements - NOT set with -Wall
-Werror
treat all warnings as errors
-Werror=<warning>
treat specified <warning> as error
Compiler options:
-fsign=[ASCII|EBCDIC] define display sign representation
- default: machine native
-ffold-copy=[UPPER|LOWER]
fold COPY subject to value - default: no transformation
-ffold-call=[UPPER|LOWER]
fold PROGRAM-ID, CALL, CANCEL subject to value - default: no transformation
-fdefaultbyte=<value> initialize fields without VALUE to value
- decimal 0..255 or any quoted character - default: initialize to picture
-fmax-errors=<number> maximum number of errors to report
- default: 100
-fintrinsics=[ALL|intrinsic function name(,name,...)]
intrinsics to be used without FUNCTION keyword
-fno-recursive_check
disable check of recursive program call; effectively compiling as RECURSIVE program
-ftrace
generate trace code - executed SECTION/PARAGRAPH
-ftraceall
generate trace code - executed SECTION/PARAGRAPH/STATEMENTS - turned on by -debug
-fsyntax-only
syntax error checking only; don't emit any output
-fdebugging-line
enable debugging lines - 'D' in indicator column or floating >>D
-fsource-location
generate source location code - turned on by -debug/-g/-ftraceall
-fimplicit-init
automatic initialization of the COBOL runtime system
-fstack-check
PERFORM stack checking - turned on by -debug or -g
-fwrite-after
use AFTER 1 for WRITE of LINE SEQUENTIAL - default: BEFORE 1
-fmfcomment
'*' or '/' in column 1 treated as comment - FIXED format only
-facucomment
'$' in indicator area treated as '*', '|' treated as floating comment
-fnotrunc
allow numeric field overflow - non-ANSI behaviour
-fodoslide
adjust items following OCCURS DEPENDING - requires implicit/explicit relaxed syntax
-fsingle-quote
use a single quote (apostrophe) for QUOTE - default: double quote
-foptional-file
treat all files as OPTIONAL - unless NOT OPTIONAL specified
Compiler dialect configuration options:
-freserved-words=<value>
use of complete/fixed reserved words
-ftab-width=1..12
set number of spaces that are asumed for tabs
-ftext-column=72..255
set right margin for source (fixed format only)
-fpic-length=<number>
maximum number of characters allowed in the character-string
-fword-length=1..61
maximum word-length for COBOL words / Programmer defined words
-fliteral-length=<number>
maximum literal size in general
-fnumeric-literal-length=1..38
maximum numeric literal size
-fassign-clause=<value>
set way of interpreting ASSIGN
-fbinary-size=<value>
binary byte size - defines the allocated bytes according to PIC
-fbinary-byteorder=<value>
binary byte order
-ffilename-mapping
resolve file names at run time using environment variables.
-fpretty-display
alternate formatting of numeric fields
-fbinary-truncate
numeric truncation according to ANSI
-fcomplex-odo
allow complex OCCURS DEPENDING ON
-findirect-redefines
allow REDEFINES to other than last equal level number
-flarger-redefines-ok
allow larger REDEFINES items
-frelax-syntax-checks
allow certain syntax variations (e.g. REDEFINES position)
-frelax-level-hierarchy
allow non-matching level numbers
-fsticky-linkage
LINKAGE-SECTION items remain allocated between invocations
-fmove-ibm
MOVE operates as on IBM (left to right, byte by byte)
-fperform-osvs
exit point of any currently executing perform is recognized if reached
-farithmetic-osvs
limit precision in intermediate results to precision of final result (less accurate)
-fconstant-folding
evaluate constant expressions at compile time
-fhostsign
allow hexadecimal value 'F' for NUMERIC test of signed PACKED DECIMAL field
-fprogram-name-redefinition
program names don't lead to a reserved identifier
-faccept-update
set WITH UPDATE clause as default for ACCEPT dest-item, instead of WITH NO UPDATE
-faccept-auto
set WITH AUTO clause as default for ACCEPT dest-item, instead of WITH TAB
-fconsole-is-crt
assume CONSOLE IS CRT if not set otherwise
-fno-echo-means-secure
NO-ECHO hides input with asterisks like SECURE
-fcomment-paragraphs=<support>
comment paragraphs in IDENTIFICATION DIVISION (AUTHOR, DATE-WRITTEN, ...)
-fmemory-size-clause=<support>
MEMORY-SIZE clause
-fmultiple-file-tape-clause=<support> MULTIPLE-FILE-TAPE clause
-flabel-records-clause=<support>
LABEL-RECORDS clause
-fvalue-of-clause=<support>
VALUE-OF clause
-fdata-records-clause=<support>
DATA-RECORDS clause
-ftop-level-occurs-clause=<support>
OCCURS clause on top-level
-fsynchronized-clause=<support>
SYNCHRONIZED clause
-fgoto-statement-without-name=<support>
GOTO statement without name
-fstop-literal-statement=<support>
STOP-literal statement
-fstop-identifier-statement=<support> STOP-identifier statement
-fdebugging-mode=<support>
DEBUGGING MODE and debugging indicator
-fuse-for-debugging=<support> USE FOR DEBUGGING
-fpadding-character-clause=<support>
PADDING CHARACTER clause
-fnext-sentence-phrase=<support>
NEXT SENTENCE phrase
-flisting-statements=<support>
listing-directive statements EJECT, SKIP1, SKIP2, SKIP3
-ftitle-statement=<support>
listing-directive statement TITLE
-fentry-statement=<support>
ENTRY statement
-fmove-noninteger-to-alphanumeric=<support>
move noninteger to alphanumeric
-fmove-figurative-constant-to-numeric=<support>
move figurative constants to numeric
-fmove-figurative-quote-to-numeric=<support>
move figurative constant QUOTE to numeric
-fodo-without-to=<support>
OCCURS DEPENDING ON without to
-fsection-segments=<support>
section segments
-falter-statement=<support>
ALTER statement
-fcall-overflow=<support>
OVERFLOW clause for CALL
-fnumeric-boolean=<support>
boolean literals (B'1010')
-fhexadecimal-boolean=<support>
hexadecimal-boolean literals (BX'A')
-fnational-literals=<support> national literals (N'UTF-16 string')
-fhexadecimal-national-literals=<support>
hexadecimal-national literals (NX'265E')
-facu-literals=<support>
ACUCOBOL-GT literals (#B #O #H #X)
-fword-continuation=<support> continuation of COBOL words
-fnot-exception-before-exception=<support>
NOT ON EXCEPTION before ON EXCEPTION
-faccept-display-extensions=<support> extensions to ACCEPT and DISPLAY
-frenames-uncommon-levels=<support>
RENAMES of 01-, 66- and 77-level items
-fconstant-78=<support>
constant with level 78 item (note: has left to right precedence in expressions)
-fconstant-01=<support>
constant with level 01 CONSTANT AS/FROM item
-fprogram-prototypes=<support>
CALL/CANCEL with program-prototype-name
-freference-out-of-declaratives=<support>
references to sections not in DECLARATIVES from within DECLARATIVES
-fnumeric-value-for-edited-item=<support>
numeric literals in VALUE clause of numeric-edited items
-fincorrect-conf-sec-order=<support>
incorrect order of CONFIGURATION SECTION paragraphs
-fdefine-constant-directive=<support> allow >> DEFINE CONSTANT var AS literal
where <support> is one of the following: 'ok', 'warning', 'archaic', 'obsolete', 'skip', 'ignore',
'error', 'unconformable'
-fnot-reserved=<word>
word to be taken out of the reserved words list
-freserved=<word>
word to be added to reserved words list
-freserved=<word>:<alias>
word to be added to reserved words list as alias
AUTHOR
Written by Keisuke Nishida, Roger While, Ron Norman, Simon Sobisch, Edward Hart Built Jul 17 2018
20:29:40 Packaged Sep 06 2017 18:48:43 UTC C version "8.1.0"
REPORTING BUGS
Report bugs to: bug-gnucobol@gnu.org or (preferably) use the issue tracker via the home page.
GnuCOBOL home page: <http://www.gnu.org/software/gnucobol/>
General help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2017 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later
<http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
SEE ALSO
The full documentation for cobc is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and cobc programs are
properly installed at your site, the command
info gnucobol
should give you access to the complete manual.