The ILE COBOL compiler allows tables in one to seven dimensions.
To define a one-dimensional table, set up a group item that includes one OCCURS clause. Remember that the OCCURS clause cannot appear in a data description entry whose level-number is 01, 66, 77, or 88.
For example:
01 TABLE-ONE. 05 ELEMENT-ONE OCCURS 3 TIMES. 10 ELEMENT-A PIC X(4). 10 ELEMENT-B PIC 9(4).
TABLE-ONE is the group item that contains the table. ELEMENT-ONE is an element of a one-dimensional table that occurs three times. ELEMENT-A and ELEMENT-B are elementary items subordinate to ELEMENT-ONE.
To define a three-dimensional table, a one-dimensional table is defined within each occurrence of another one-dimensional table, which is itself contained within each occurrence of another one-dimensional table. For example:
01 TABLE-THREE. 05 ELEMENT-ONE OCCURS 3 TIMES. 10 ELEMENT-TWO OCCURS 3 TIMES. 15 ELEMENT-THREE OCCURS 2 TIMES PICTURE X(8).
TABLE-THREE is the group item that contains the table. ELEMENT-ONE is an element of a one-dimensional table that occurs three times. ELEMENT-TWO is an element of a two-dimensional table that occurs three times within each occurrence of ELEMENT-ONE. ELEMENT-THREE is an element of a three-dimensional table that occurs two times within each occurrence of ELEMENT-TWO. Figure 6 shows the storage layout for TABLE-THREE.
Figure 6. Storage Layout for TABLE-THREE

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