5.1.6.5 Classes and Categories of Data
All data used in a COBOL program can be divided into classes and categories.
Every group item belongs to the alphanumeric class, even if the subordinate elementary items belong to another class.
Every elementary item in a program belongs to one of the classes as well as to one of the categories. Table 11 shows the relationship among data classes and categories.
Every data item which is a function is an elementary item, and belongs to the category alphanumeric or numeric, and to the corresponding class; the category of each function is determined by the definition of the function.
| Table 11. Classes and Categories of Data | ||
| Level of Item | Class | Category |
|---|---|---|
Elementary  X X X |
Alphabetic | Alphabetic |
| Numeric X X |
Numeric | |
| X Internal Floating-point |
||
| X External Floating-point |
||
| Alphanumeric X |
Numeric-Edited | |
| Alphanumeric-Edited | ||
| Alphanumeric | ||
| X DBCS |
||
| Group X X X |
Alphanumeric X X X |
Alphabetic |
| Numeric | ||
| X Internal Floating-point |
||
| X External Floating-point |
||
| Numeric-Edited | ||
| Alphanumeric-Edited | ||
| Alphanumeric | ||
| X DBCS |
||
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