Compaq COBOL AAQ2G1FTK - Manual (Page 136)

Handling Tables
4.3 Accessing Table Elements
Note
Because ITEM5 is not subordinate to ITEM2, an occurrence number for
ITEM2 is not permitted in the subscript list (when referencing ITEM3,
ITEM4, or ITEM5). The ninth occurrence of ITEM2 in the fifth occurrence
of A-GROUP will be selected by ITEM2(5,9).
Table 4–1 shows the subscripting rules that apply to Example 4–16.
Table 4–1 Subscripting Rules for a Multidimensional Table
Name of Item
Number of Subscripts
Required to Refer to
the Name Item
Size of Item in Bytes
(Each Occurrence)
A-TABLE NONE 1105
A-GROUP ONE 221
ITEM1 ONE 1
ITEM2 TWO 2
ITEM3 TWO 9
ITEM4 TWO 1
ITEM5 THREE 2
4.3.3 Subscripting with Data Names
You can also use data names to specify subscripts. To use a data name as a
subscript, define it with COMP, COMP-1, COMP-2, COMP-3, or DISPLAY usage
and with a numeric integer value. If the data name is signed, the sign must be
positive at the time the data name is used as a subscript.
A data name that is a subscript can also be subscripted; for example, A(B(C)).
Note that for efficiency your subscripts should be S9(5) to S9(9) COMP.