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power. This form is used mainly in scientific calculation where the size of computed quantities is difficult to predict and allow for.
FORMAT CHARACTER
One of the characters specified in the table of format characters in Chapter 4 of this manual for indicating the characteristics of data in the data description portion of a Commercial Translator program.
FUNCTION
In the Commercial Translator system, a result obtained as a consequence of a procedure; specifically, a result named in the GIVING clause of a BEGIN SECTION command. (See the discussion of functions in Chapter 2 of this manual, and the BEGIN SECTION command in Chapter 3.)
FUNCTION-NAME
A name assigned to a function by the programmer. (See FUNCTION.)
HEADER
(See DIVISION HEADER.)
IMBEDDED PERIOD
A period contained within a Commercial Translator name in such a way that it is not adjacent to a blank.
IMPERATIVE CLAUSE
A clause expressing a complete command; it consists of a verb and its operand(s).
INSTRUCTION
A code, symbol, or group of symbols, which causes a data processing system to perform an operation of some kind. An instruction usually consists of a code specifying a kind of operation, and an address which indicates the data and/or item of equipment on which the operation is to be performed.
INTEGER
A whole number. E.g., 54 is an integer, while 54.6 is not.
JUSTIFICATION
- In printing or listing, the alignment of a margin. 2. In the internal storage of data within a processing system, the alignment of data with respect to the left or right boundaries of machine words, as explained in Chapter 4 of this manual.
LEVEL
In the Commercial Translator system, the status of one item of data relative to another, showing whether one is to be treated as a part of the other or whether they are unrelated, as specified in the rules governing level numbers in Chapter 4 of this manual.
LITERAL
A value expressed literally in a procedure statement, as opposed to a value represented by a name. Thus, 2 is a literal, whereas the name TWO could be one of a number of possible names used to represent the value 2. (See the rules governing literals in Chapter 2 of this manual.)
LOOP
A coding technique whereby a group of instructions is repeated, usually with modification of at least one of the instructions in the group and/or with modification of the data being operated upon.
MACHINE LANGUAGE
The system of codes by which instructions and data are represented internally within a particular data processing system.
MACHINE WORD
(See WORD.)
MACHINE-INDEPENDENT
An adjective used to indicate that an instruction or a program is conceived, organized, or oriented without specific reference to the technical characteristics of any one data processing system. Use of this adjective usually implies that the instruction or program is oriented or organized in terms of the logical nature of a problem, rather than in terms of the technical means of solving it.