Editing a Source File > COBOL Editor

Displaying the Horizontal Ruler

The horizontal ruler is displayed in the upper part of the editor window. The features of the horizontal ruler are as follows:

• Column numbers are displayed at every tenth column, following a rule under which number 1 is displayed at column 10, the + sign at column 15, number 2 at column 20, and so on.
• With files in the Fixed format
  • The ruler begins from the "*" symbol at column 7.
    
  • "A" at column 8 indicates the beginning of area A (from columns 8 to 11).
  • "B" at column 12 indicates the beginning of area B (from columns 12 to 72).
  • "I" at column 73 on the ruler indicates the beginning of the program identification area (column 73 and after).
  • The ruler continues to column 80.
• With files in the Variable format
  • The ruler begins with sign "*" at column 7.
  • "A" at column 8 indicates the beginning of area A (columns 8 to 11).
  • "B" at column 12 indicates the beginning of area B (columns 12 to 250).
  • The ruler continues until column 250.
• With files in the Free format
  • The ruler begins with sign "*" at column 1.
  • 
  • The ruler continues until column 250.

Pressing the tab key moves the cursor by the tab width defined on the setting page. A value of 4 or 8 can be selected for the tab width.

+Changing the tab setting

1. Select [Window] > [Preferences] from the menu bar. The [Preferences] dialog box is displayed.
2. Select [COBOL] > [Editor] in the left pane. The [Editor] page is displayed.
3. Click the [Reference Format] tab.
4. Select [4] or [8] from [Tab Width] for the tab width.

By default, the tab width is [4].