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From: gvcormack@watdaisy.UUCP (Gordon V. Cormack)
Newsgroups: net.lang
Subject: Misleading COBOL semantics
Message-ID: <6769@watdaisy.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 27-Nov-84 10:24:36 EST
Article-I.D.: watdaisy.6769
Posted: Tue Nov 27 10:24:36 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 28-Nov-84 03:28:34 EST
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 18

The recent discussion of IF A LESS THAN B OR C etc. reminds me of
another case in which the semantics of COBOL are clearly not those
implied by English interpretation.  The statement

    MULTIPLY A BY B

stores the result in B, not A as is implied.  Therefore the following
COBOL statement is invalid, even though it makes perfect sense.

    MULTIPLY MY-SALARY BY 2.

In order to have the desired semantics, one must say:

    MULTIPLY 2 BY MY-SALARY.

Gordon Cormack     gvcormack@watdaisy.uucp 
                   gvcormack%watdasiy@waterloo.csnet