COBOL Memory Management Techniques
Memory management techniques refer to how programs allocate, use, and release memory during the program execution. This involves defining data structures in the DATA DIVISION and using storage areas in WORKING-STORAGE. Proper memory management ensures efficient program execution, minimizes wasted resources, and prevents memory-related errors.
Below are the list of memory management techniques available in COBOL -
| Statement | Description |
|---|---|
| REDEFINES Detailed Tutorial | REDEFINES defines a new variable for the existing variable, which means two variables share the same memory area. It is a way to declare multiple variables for a single memory area in different ways based on the requirement. |
| RENAMES Detailed Tutorial | RENAMES clause regroups the existing group of items and assigns a new name. It creates another logical group by regrouping some or all elementary variables of a group. Special purpose level number 66 is used to code the RENAMES clause. |
| SYNCHRONIZED Detailed Tutorial | Due to the variable allocation at the word boundaries, some bytes are unused between the boundary start and the previous allocation ending. These unused bytes are called Slack bytes. |
| Computational Items (USAGE Clause) Detailed Tutorial | Computational items refer to memory storage forms that are mainly used for arithmetic calculations.
These items are typically defined with the USAGE clause to specify their internal representation.
The list of USAGE modes in COBOL are -
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