The default precompiler margins are 8 and 72. This is standard ANSI formatted COBOL, which provides that:
- Columns 1-6 are available for sequence numbering
- Column 7 is used to indicate:
- Comments (*)
- String continuation (-)
- Debug statements (D)
- Page eject lines (/)
- Margin A begins in column 8
- Margin B begins in column 12
- The EXEC SQL prefix must start in or after column 12
- SQL statements are coded in columns 12 through 72
Specifying margins beginning in column 1 is also an option.
This specification selects terminal formatting, a less-restrictive form available in the workstation-attached environment. The format used with the network depends on the compiler installed; check the installation preferences for the proper format.