--- name: "gcobol" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "gcc-gcobol" version: "16.2.1+r23+gd564253eb6c8-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/gcobol" --- # gcobol(1) GCC COBOL Front-end ## NAME **gcobol** – GCC COBOL Front-end ## SYNOPSIS **gcobol** \[**-D***name*\[=*value*\]\] \[**-E**\] \[**-fdefaultbyte**=*value*\] \[**-fsyntax-only**\] \[**-I***copybook-path*\] \[**-fmax-errors**=*nerror*\]\[ **-nomain** \| **-main** *filename* \| **-main**=*filename* **-main**=*filename:program-id*\] \[**-fcobol-exceptions** *exception*\[,*exception*...\]\] \[**-copyext** *ext*\] \[**-ffixed-form** \| **-ffree-form**\] \[**-findicator-column**\] \[**-fexec-charset=***encoding*\] \[**-fexec-national-charset=***encoding*\] \[**-dialect** *dialect-name*\] \[**-include** *filename*\] \[**-preprocess** *preprocess-filter*\] \[**-fflex-debug**\] \[**-fyacc-debug**\] \[**-Wno-apply-commit**\] \[**-Wno-file-code-set**\] \[**-Wno-high-order-bit**\] \[**-Wno-bad-line-directive**\] \[**-Wno-bad-numeric**\] \[**-Wno-binary-long-long**\] \[**-Wno-call-giving**\] \[**-Wno-call-literal**\] \[**-Wno-cdf-dollar**\] \[**-Wno-cdf-invalid-parameter**\] \[**-Wno-cdf-name-not-found**\] \[**-Wno-cobol-eject**\] \[**-Wno-cobol-resume**\] \[**-Wno-cobol-volatile**\] \[**-Wno-comp-6**\] \[**-Wno-comp-x**\] \[**-Wno-copybook-found**\] \[**-Wno-ec-unknown**\] \[**-Wno-entry-convention**\] \[**-Wno-iconv-error**\] \[**-Wno-include-file-found**\] \[**-Wno-include-file-not-found**\] \[**-Wno-inspect-trailing**\] \[**-Wno-length-of**\] \[**-Wno-level-1-occurs**\] \[**-Wno-level-78**\] \[**-Wno-level-78-defined**\] \[**-Wno-literal-concat**\] \[**-Wno-locale-error**\] \[**-Wno-move-corresponding**\] \[**-Wno-move-index**\] \[**-Wno-move-pointer**\] \[**-Wno-nllanginfo-error**\] \[**-Wno-operator-space**\] \[**-Wno-preprocessor-error**\] \[**-Wno-procedure-not-found**\] \[**-Wno-procedure-pointer**\] \[**-Wno-replace-error**\] \[**-Wno-returning-number**\] \[**-Wno-segment-error**\] \[**-Wno-segment-negative**\] \[**-Wno-stop-number**\] \[**-Wno-stray-indicator**\] \[**-Wno-usage-typename**\] \[**-Wno-recording-mode**\] \[**-Wno-set-locale-to**\] \[**-Wno-set-to-locale**\] *filename* \[...\] ## DESCRIPTION **gcobol** compiles COBOL source code to object code, and optionally produces an executable binary or shared object. As a GCC component, it accepts all options that affect code-generation and linking. Options specific to COBOL are listed below. - **-main** *filename* **gcobol** will generate a **main**() function as an entry point calling the first PROGRAM-ID in *filename*. **-main** is the default. When none of **-nomain**, **-c**, or **-shared**, is present, an implicit **-main** is inserted into the command line ahead of the first source file name. - **-main**=*filename* The .o object module for *filename* will include a **main**() entry point calling the first PROGRAM-ID in *filename* - **-main**=*filename:program-id* The .o object module for *filename* will include a **main**() entry point that calls the *program-id* entry point - **-nomain** No **main**() entry point will be generated by this compilation. The **-nomain** option is incompatible with **-main**, and is implied by **-shared**. It is also implied by **-c** when there is no **-main** present. See below for examples showing the use of **-main** and **-nomain.** - **-D** *name*\[=*expr*\] Define a CDF name (for use with **\>\>IF**) to have the value of *expr*. - **-E** Write the CDF-processed COBOL input to standard output in *free-form reference format*. Certain non-COBOL markers are included in the output to indicate where copybook files were included. For line-number consistency with the input, blank lines are retained. Unlike the C compiler, This option does not prevent compilation. To prevent compilation, use the option **-****fsyntax-only** also. - **-fdefaultbyte**=*value* Use *value*, a number between 0 and 255, as the default value for all WORKING-STORAGE data items that have no VALUE clause. By default, alphanumeric data items are initialized with blanks, and numeric data items are initialized to zero. This option overrides the default with *value*. - **-fsyntax-only** Invoke only the parser. Check the code for syntax errors, but don't do anything beyond that. - **-copyext** *ext* For the CDF directive COPY *name* if *name* is unquoted, several varieties of *name* are tried, as described below under Copybooks. The **-copyext** option extends the names searched to include *ext*. If *ext* is all uppercase or all lowercase, both forms are tried, with preference given to the one supplied. If *ext* is mixed-case, only that version is tried. For example, with **-copyext** *.abc* given the CDF directive COPY name **gcobol** will add to possible names searched ‘name.abc’ and ‘name.ABC’ in that order. - **-ffixed-form** Use strict *fixed-form reference format* in reading the COBOL input: 72-character lines, with a 6-character sequence area, and an indicator column. Data past column 72 are ignored. - **-ffree-form** Force the COBOL input to be interpreted as *free-form reference format*. Line breaks are insignificant, except that ‘\*’ at the start of a line acts as a comment marker. Equivalent to **-indicator-column** *0*. - **-findicator-column** describes the location of the Indicator Area in a COBOL file in *Reference Format*, where the first 6 columns — known as the “Sequence Number Area” — are ignored, and the 7th column — the Indicator Area — may hold a character of significance to the compiler. Although *reference format*, strictly speaking, ignores data after column 72, with this option **gcobol** accepts long COBOL lines, sometimes known as *extended source format*. Text past column 72 is treated as ordinary COBOL text. (Line continuation remains in effect, however, provided no text appears *past* column 72.) There is no maximum line length. Regardless of source code format, the entire program could appear on one line. By default, **gcobol** auto-detects the source code format by examining the line that contains the text "program-id". When there are characters on past column 72 on that line, the file is assumed to be in *extended source format*, with the indicator area in column 7. Otherwise, columns 1-6 are examined. If those characters are all digits or blanks, the file is assumed to be in *fixed-form reference format*, also with the indicator in column 7. If not auto-detected as *fixed-form reference format* or *extended source format*, the file is assumed to be in *free-form reference format*. - **-fcobol-exceptions** *exception* \[,*exception*...\] By default, no exception condition is enabled (including fatal ones), and by the ISO standard exception conditions are enabled only via the CDF **TURN** directive. This option enables one or more exception conditions by default, as though **TURN** had appeared at the top of the first source code file. This option may also appear more than once on the command line. The value of *exception* is a Level 1, 2, or 3 exception condition name, as described by ISO/IEC 1989:2023. ‘EC-ALL’ means enable all exceptions. The **-fno-cobol-exceptions** form turns off *exception*, just as though \>\>TURN *exception* *CHECKING* *OFF* had appeared. Not all exception conditions are implemented. Any that are not produce a warning message. - **-fmax-errors**=*nerror* *nerror* represents the number of error messages produced. Without this option, **gcobol** attempts to recover from a syntax error by resuming compilation at the next statement, continuing until end-of-file. With it, **gcobol** counts the messages as they're produced, and stops when *nerror* is reached. - **-fstatic-call**, **-fno-static-call** With **-fno-static-call**, **gcobol** never uses static linking for **CALL** *program* By default, or with **-fstatic-call**, if *program* is an alphanumeric literal, **gcobol** uses static linkage, meaning the compiler produces an external symbol *program* for the linker to resolve. (In the future, that will work with **CONSTANT** data items, too.) With static linkage, if *program* is not supplied by the source code module or another object file or library at build time, the linker will produce an “unresolved symbol” error. With **-fno-static-call**, **gcobol** always uses dynamic linking. This option affects the **CALL** statement for literals only. If *program* is a non-constant data item, it is always resolved using dynamic linking, with [dlsym(3)](/dlsym/3.md), because its value is determined at run time. - **-fexec-charset=***encoding* Set the default execution character set for alphanumeric data items and literals in the absence of **CHARACTER CLASSIFICATION** in **CONFIGURATION SECTION**. *encoding* is an encoding name as defined by [iconv(3)](/iconv/3.md). Unless otherwise specified, the runtime encoding for both alphanumeric and NATIONAL is **CP1252** as defined by [iconv(3)](/iconv/3.md). - **-fexec-national-charset=***encoding* Set the default execution character set for NATIONAL data items and literals in the absence of **CHARACTER CLASSIFICATION** in **CONFIGURATION SECTION**. *encoding* is an encoding name as defined by [iconv(3)](/iconv/3.md). To use an EBCDIC encoding for data items, one might use **-fexec-national-charset=**CP1140 for example. - **-dialect** *dialect-name* By default, **gcobol** accepts COBOL syntax as defined by ISO/IEC 1989:2023, with some extensions for backward compatibility with COBOL-85. Additional syntax is supported with this option. The value of *dialect-name* may be - ibm to indicate IBM COBOL 6.4 syntax: - **EJECT** - **EQUAL** as assignment operator - **LENGTH OF** - **PROCEDURE POINTER** - **SECTION** segment - **STOP** \ - **VOLATILE** - Per-program Registers - **RETURN-CODE** S9(4) - **SORT-CONTROL** X(160) - **SORT-CORE-SIZE** S9(8) - **SORT-FILE-SIZE** S9(8) - **SORT-MESSAGE** X(8) - **SORT-MODE-SIZE** S9(5) - **SORT-RETURN** S9(4) - **TALLY** 9(5) - **WHEN-COMPILED** X(16) - **XML-CODE** S9(9) - **XML-EVENT** X(30) - **XML-INFORMATION** S9(9) - **XML-NAMESPACE** X(0) to X(32,768) - **XML-NNAMESPACE** N(0) to N(16,384) - **XML-NAMESPACE-PREFIX** X(0) to X(4,096) - **XML-NNAMESPACE-PREFIX** N(0) to N(2,048) - **XML-NTEXT** N(0) to N(2,000,000) - **XML-TEXT** X(0) to X(2,147,483,646) - gnu to indicate GnuCOBOL syntax, generally compatible with MicroFocus. - mf to indicate MicroFocus syntax: - **BINARY-LONG-LONG** - **CALL** **...** **GIVING** - **CDF** **$IF** - **COMPUTATIONAL-6** - **COMPUTATIONAL** used with **PICTURE** **X** - **INSPECT** **...** **TRAILING** - **OCCURS** at **LEVEL 01** - **LEVEL** **78** constants - **MOVE** **POINTER** - **RETURNING** \ - **USAGE** **IS** **TYPENAME** - **-include** *filename* Process *filename* as if COPY “*filename*” appeared as the first line of the primary source file. If *filename* is not an absolute path, the directory searched is the current working directory, not the directory containing the main source file. The name is used verbatim. No permutations are applied, and no directories searched. If multiple **-include** options are given, the files are included in the order they appear on the command line. - **-preprocess** *preprocess-filter* After all CDF text-manipulation has been applied, and before the prepared COBOL is sent to the **cobol1** compiler, the input may be further altered by one or more filters. In the tradition of [sed(1)](/sed/1.md), each *preprocess-filter* reads from standard input and writes to standard output. To supply options to *preprocess-filter*, use a comma-separated string, similar to how linker options are supplied to **-****Wl**. (Do not put any spaces after the commas, because the shell will treat it as an option separator.) **gcobol** replaces each comma with a space when *preprocess-filter* is invoked. For example, **-preprocess** tee,output.cbl invokes [tee(1)](/tee/1.md) with the output filename argument *output.cbl*, causing a copy of the input to be written to the file. **gcobol** searches the current working directory and the PATH environment variable directories for an executable file whose name matches *preprocess-filter*. The first one found is used. If none is found, an error is reported and the compiler is not invoked. The **-preprocess** option may appear more than once on the command line. Each *preprocess-filter* is applied in turn, in order of appearance. The *preprocess-filter* should return a zero exit status, indicating success. If it returns a nonzero exit status, an error is reported and the compiler is not invoked. - **-fflex-debug**, **-fyacc-debug** produce messages useful for compiler development. The **-fflex-debug** option prints the tokenized input stream. The **-fyacc-debug** option shows the shift and reduce actions taken by the parser. ### Diagnostic Messages Many warning options can be used to convert error messages to warnings, or to suppress messages related to COBOL dialects. The user may mix and match. A group of features may be enabled by indicating a dialect (or more than one dialect) and individual features may be enabled as a warning, or error, or suppressed. - **-Wno-apply-commit** Warn if APPLY COMMIT is used. - **-Wno-bad-line-directive** Warn if malformed ‘#line’ directive is encountered. - **-Wno-binary-long-long** Warn if BINARY-LONG-LONG is used. - **-Wno-call\_giving** Warn if CALL ... GIVING is used. - **-Wno-call\_literal** Warn if CALL is used is used with a literal parameter by reference. - **-Wno-cdf-dollar** Warn if CDF $IF is used. - **-Wno-comp-6** Warn if COMPUTATIONAL-6 is used. - **-Wno-comp-x** Warn if COMPUTATIONAL is used with PICTURE X. - **-Wno-file-code-set** Warn if FILE CODE SET is used. - **-Wno-inspect-trailing** Warn if INSPECT ... TRAILING is used. - **-Wno-level-1-occurs** Warn if Level 01 is used with OCCURS. - **-Wno-level-78-defined** Warn if CDF defines Level 78 constant. - **-Wno-move-index** Warn if MOVE INDEX is used. - **-Wno-move-pointer** Warn if MOVE POINTER is used. - **-Wno-returning-number** Warn if RETURNING \ is used. - **-Wno-usage-typename** Warn if USAGE IS TYPENAME is used. - **-Wno-bad-numeric** Warn if numeric string is invalid. - **-Wno-cdf-invalid-parameter** Warn if referenced CDF PARAMETER is not defined. - **-Wno-cdf-name-not-found** Warn if referenced CDF name is not defined. - **-Wno-cobol-eject** Warn if IBM-style EJECT is used (instead of error). - **-Wno-cobol-resume** Warn if ISO RESUME is used with -dialect ibm (instead of error). - **-Wno-cobol-volatile** Warn if VOLATILE is used (instead of error if -dialect ibm). - **-Wno-copybook-found** Print message when copybook is processed. - **-Wno-ec-unknown** Warn if unimplemented/unknown exception condition is referenced. - **-Wno-entry-convention** Print message when ENTRY CONVENTION is specified. - **-Wno-high-order-bit** Warn if HIGH-ORDER-LEFT HIGH-ORDER-RIGHT is used. - **-Wno-include-file-found** Print message when include file is processed. - **-Wno-length-of** Warn if LENGTH OF is used. - **-Wno-level-78** Warn if Level 78 is used. - **-Wno-literal-concat** Warn if concatenated literals use different encodings. - **-Wno-locale-error** Warn if locale(3) fails. - **-Wno-move-corresponding** Warn if COBOL MOVE has no corresponding fields. - **-Wno-nllanginfo-error** Warn if nlanglanginfo(3) fails. - **-Wno-recording-mode** Warn if RECORDING MODE is used. - **-Wno-segment** Warn if SECTION segments are used. - **-Wno-set-locale-to** Warn if SET LOCALE ... TO is used. - **-Wno-set-to-locale** Warn if SET ... TO LOCALE is used. \`. Warn if a line directive is malformed (instead of error). - **-Wno-iconv-error** Warn if [iconv(3)](/iconv/3.md) cannot convert between encodings (instead of error). - **-Wno-include-file-not-found** Warn if include file is not found (instead of error). - **-Wno-operator-space** Warn if relational operator not followed by space (instead of error). - **-Wno-preprocessor-error** Warn if a preprocessor fails (instead of error). - **-Wno-procedure-pointer** Warn if PROCEDURE POINTER is used. - **-Wno-procedure-not-found** Warn if a referenced procedure is not found (instead of error). - **-Wno-replace-error** Warn if REPLACE cannot be processed (instead of error). - **-Wno-segment-error** Warn if a SEGMENT section is invalid (instead of error). - **-Wno-segment-negative** Warn if a SEGMENT range is negative (instead of error). - **-Wno-stop-number** Warn if IBM-style STOP \ is used (instead of error). - **-Wno-stray-indicator** Warn if indicator column has no recognized meaning (instead of error). ## COMPILATION SCENARIOS gcobol *xyz.cob* gcobol -main *xyz.cob* gcobol -main=*xyz.cob* *xyz.cob* These are equivalent. The *xyz.cob* code is compiled and a **main**() function is inserted that calls the first PROGRAM-ID in the *xyz.cob* source file. gcobol -nomain *xyz.cob* *elsewhere.o* The **-nomain** option prevents a **main**() function from being generated by the gcobol compiler. A **main**() entry point must be present in the *elsewhere.o* module; without it the linker will report a “missing main” error. gcobol *aaa.cob* *bbb.cob* *ccc.cob* gcobol -main *aaa.cob* *bbb.cob* *ccc.cob* The two commands are equivalent. The three source code modules are compiled and linked together along with a generated **main**() function that calls the first PROGRAM-ID in the *aaa.cob* module. gcobol *aaa.cob* *bbb.cob* **-main** *ccc.cob* gcobol -main=*ccc.cob* *aaa.cob* *bbb.cob* *ccc.cob* These two commands have the same result: An *a.out* executable is created that starts executing at the first PROGRAM-ID in *ccc.cob*. gcobol -main=*bbb.cob:b-entry* *aaa.cob* *bbb.cob* *ccc.cob* An *a.out* executable is created that starts executing at the PROGRAM-ID *b-entry*. gcobol -c *aaa.cob* gcobol -c -main *bbb.cob* gcobol -c *ccc.cob* gcobol *aaa.o* *bbb.o* *ccc.o* The first three commands each create a .o file. The *bbb.o* file will contain a **main**() entry point that calls the first PROGRAM-ID in *bbb*. The fourth links the three .o files into an *a.out*. ## EBCDIC The **-fexec-charset=cp1140** option is useful when working with mainframe COBOL programs intended for EBCDIC-encoded files. With this option, while the COBOL text remains in ASCII, the character literals and field initial values produce EBCDIC strings in the compiled binary, and any character data read from a file are interpreted as EBCDIC data. The file data are not *converted*; rather, the file is assumed to use EBCDIC representation. String literals in the COBOL text *are* converted, so that they can be compared meaningfully with data in the file. Code Page 1140 is one of a number of EBCDIC code pages; it is often useful because it closely parallels the commonly-used Code Page 1252 that provides many Western European characters. Only file data and character literals are affected. Data read from and written to the environment, or taken from the command line, are interpreted according the [locale(7)](/locale/7.md) in force during execution. The same is true of **ACCEPT** and **DISPLAY**. Names known to the operating system, such as file names and the names of environment variables, are processed verbatim. At the present time, this is an all-or-nothing setting. Support for **USAGE** and **CODESET**, which would allow conversion between encodings, remains a future goal. See also Feature-set Variables, below. ## REDEFINES ... USAGE POINTER Per ISO, an item that **REDEFINES** another may not be larger than the item it redefines, unless that item has LEVEL 01 and is not EXTERNAL. In **gcobol**, using **-dialect** *ibm*, this rule is relaxed for **REDEFINES** with **USAGE** **POINTER** whose redefined member is a 4-byte **USAGE** **COMP-5** (usually **PIC** **S9(8)**), or vice-versa. In that case, the redefined member is re-sized to be 8 bytes, to accommodate the pointer. This feature allows pointer arithmetic on a 64-bit system with source code targeted at a 32-bit system. See also Feature-set Variables, below. ## IMPLEMENTATION NOTES **gcobol** is a gcc compiler, and follows gcc conventions where applicable. Sometimes those conventions (and user expectations) conflict with common Mainframe practice. Unless required of the compiler by the ISO specification, any such conflicts are resolved in favor of gcc. ### Linking Unlike, C, the COBOL **CALL** statement implies dynamic linking, because for **CALL** *program* *program* can be a variable whose value is determined at runtime. However, the parameter may also be compile-time constant, either an alphanumeric literal, or a **CONSTANT** data item. **gcobol** supports static linking where possible, unless defeated by **-fno-static-call**. If the parameter value is known at compile time, the compiler produces an external reference to be resolved by the linker. The referenced program is normally supplied via an object module, a static library, or a shared object. If it is not supplied, the linker will report an “unresolved symbol” error, either at build time or, if using a shared object, when the program is executed. This feature informs the programmer of the error at the earliest opportunity. Programs that are expected to execute correctly in the presence of an unresolved symbol (perhaps because the program logic won't require that particular **CALL**) can use the **-no-static-call** option. That forces all **CALL** statements to be resolved dynamically, at runtime. ### Implemented Exception Conditions By default, per ISO, no EC is enabled. Implemented ECs may be enabled on the command line or via the **TURN** directive. Any attempt to enable an EC that is not implemented is treated as an error. An enabled EC not handled by a **DECLARATIVE** is written to the system log and to standard error. (The authors intend to make that an option.) A fatal EC not handled with **RESUME** ends with a call to [abort(3)](/abort/3.md) and process termination. Not all Exception Conditions are implemented. Any attempt to enable an EC that that is not implemented produces a warning message. The following are implemented: - EC-FUNCTION-ARGUMENT for the following functions: - ACOS - ANNUITY - ASIN - LOG - LOG10 - PRESENT-VALUE - SQRT - EC-SORT-MERGE-FILE-OPEN - EC-BOUND-SUBSCRIPT subscript not an integer, less than 1, or greater than occurs - EC-BOUND-REF-MOD refmod start not an integer, start less than 1, start greater than variable size, length not an integer, length less than 1, and start+length exceeds variable size - EC-BOUND-ODO DEPENDING not an integer, greater than occurs upper limit, less than occurs lower limit, and subscript greater than DEPENDING for sending item - EC-SIZE-ZERO-DIVIDE for both fixed-point and floating-point division - EC-SIZE-TRUNCATION - EC-SIZE-EXPONENTIATION As of this writing, no COBOL compiler documents a complete implementation of ISO/IEC 1989:2023 Exception Conditions. **gcobol** will give priority to those ECs that the user community deems most valuable. ## EXTENSIONS TO ISO COBOL Standard COBOL has no provision for environment variables as defined by Unix and Windows, or command-line arguments. **gcobol** supports them using syntax similar to that of GnuCOBOL. ISO and IBM also define incompatible ways to return the program's exit status to the operating system. **gcobol** supports IBM syntax. ### Environment Variables To read an environment variable: ACCEPT *target* FROM ENVIRONMENT *envar* where *target* is a data item defined in **DATA DIVISION**, and *envar* names an environment variable. *envar* may be a string literal or alphanumeric data item whose value is the name of an environment variable. The value of the named environment variable is moved to *target*. The rules are the same as for **MOVE**. To write an environment variable: SET ENVIRONMENT *envar* TO *source* where *source* is a data item defined in **DATA** **DIVISION**, and *envar* names an environment variable. *envar* again may be a string literal or alphanumeric data item whose value is the name of an environment variable. The value of the named environment variable is set to the value of *source*. ### Command-line Arguments To read command-line arguments, use the registers **COMMAND-LINE** and **COMMAND-LINE-COUNT** in an **ACCEPT** statement (only). Used without a subscript, **COMMAND-LINE** returns the whole command line as a single string. With a subscript, **COMMAND-LINE** is a table of command-line arguments. For example, if the program is invoked as **./program** **-i** *input* *output* then ACCEPT target FROM COMMAND-LINE(3) moves *input* into *target*. The program name is the first thing in the whole command line and is found in COMMAND-LINE(1) **COMMAND-LINE** table. To discover how many arguments were provided on the command line, use ACCEPT *target* FROM COMMAND-LINE-COUNT If **ACCEPT** refers to a nonexistent environment variable or command-line argument, the target is set to **LOW-VALUES**. The system command line parameters can also be accessed through the LINKAGE SECTION in the program where execution starts. The data structure looks like this: ``` linkage section. 01 argc pic 999. 01 argv. 02 argv-table occurs 1 to 100 times depending on argc. 03 argv-element pointer. 01 argv-string pic x(100) . ``` and the code to access the third parameter looks like this ``` procedure division using by value argc by reference argv. set address of argv-string to argv-element(3) display argv-string ``` ### #line directive The parser accepts lines in the form \#line *lineno* “*filename*”. The effect is to set the current line number to *lineno* and the current input filename to *filename*. Preprocessors may use this directive to control the filename and line numbers reported in error messages and in the debugger. ### SELECT ... ASSIGN TO In the phrase ASSIGN TO *filename* *filename* may appear in quotes or not. If quoted, it represents a filename as known to the operating system. If unquoted, it names either a data element or an environment variable containing the name of a file. If *filename* matches the name of a data element, that element is used. If not, resolution of *filename* is deferred until runtime, when the name must appear in the program's environment. ### XML PARSE **gcobol** emulates the IBM **XML PARSE** statement. The following values for **XML-EVENT** are defined: - **COMMENT** Text of a comment between "\