Editing COBOL (section)

=====USAGE clause=====
{{missing information|section|COMPUTATIONAL-5|date=April 2021}}
The {{code|USAGE}} clause declares the format in which data is stored. Depending on the data type, it can either complement or be used instead of a {{code|PICTURE}} clause. While it can be used to declare pointers and object references, it is mostly geared towards specifying numeric types. These numeric formats are:{{sfn|ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 22/WG 4|2014|loc=§ 13.18.60.3}}

* Binary, where a minimum size is either specified by the <code>PICTURE</code> clause or by a <code>USAGE</code> clause such as <code>BINARY-LONG</code>
* {{code|USAGE COMPUTATIONAL|lang=cobolfree}}, where data may be stored in whatever format the implementation provides; often equivalent to &nbsp;{{code|USAGE BINARY|lang=cobolfree}}
* {{code|USAGE DISPLAY|lang=cobolfree}}, the default format, where data is stored as a string
* Floating-point, in either an implementation-dependent format or according to IEEE 754
* {{code|USAGE NATIONAL|lang=cobolfree}}, where data is stored as a string using an extended character set
* {{code|USAGE PACKED-DECIMAL|lang=cobolfree}}, where data is stored in the smallest possible decimal format (typically [[packed binary-coded decimal]])