3. Embedded QUEL for COBOL : EQUEL Statement Syntax for COBOL : Terminator
 
Share this page                  
Terminator
An EQUEL/COBOL statement does not need a statement terminator. However, do use a COBOL separator period to terminate an EQUEL statement if that statement marks the end of a group of COBOL statements. For example, the separator period can appear after an EQUEL statement that indicates the end the scope of an IF statement as follows:
     IF (GIVE_MESSAGE = 1) THEN
##   MESSAGE "Continuing with processing"
##   SLEEP 2.
When it translates the above code into COBOL statements, the preprocessor places the COBOL separator period at the end of the last generated COBOL statement. For more details on the COBOL separator period and EQUEL statements, see Precompiling, Compiling, and Linking an EQUEL Program.
Because variables declared to EQUEL follow the normal COBOL declaration syntax, you must terminate variable declarations in the normal way for COBOL, with a period.