1.5.1 Uniqueness of Reference
Every user-defined name in a COBOL program is assigned by the user to name a resource for solving a data processing problem. To use a resource, a statement in a COBOL program must contain a reference which uniquely identifies that resource. To ensure uniqueness of reference, a user-defined name can be qualified, subscripted, or reference-modified.
When the same name has been assigned in separate programs to two or more occurrences of a resource of a given type, and when qualification by itself does not allow the references in one of those programs to differentiate between the identically named resources, then certain conventions that limit the scope of names apply. The conventions ensure that the resource identified is that described in the program containing the reference. For more information on resolving program-names, see "Resolution of Names" in topic 1.4.3.
Unless otherwise specified by the rules for a statement, any subscripts and reference modification are evaluated only once as the first step in executing that statement.
Subtopics:
- 1.5.1.1 Qualification
- 1.5.1.2 Data Attribute Specification
- 1.5.1.3 Identical Names
- 1.5.1.4 References to COPY Libraries
- 1.5.1.5 References to Procedure Division Names
- 1.5.1.6 References to Data Division Names
- 1.5.1.7 Condition-name
- 1.5.1.8 Subscripting
- 1.5.1.9 Reference Modification
- 1.5.1.10 Function-Identifier
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