Environment Division:
The Environment Division is the second division in the COBOL source program. It is mainly machine-dependent . The computer and all the peripheral devices needed by the program are elaborated in this division.
This division contains 2 sections:
1) Configuration Section and
2) Input-Output Section.
Out of these two the Configuration Section appears at the beginning. The outline of the sections and the paragraphs are shown below.
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
CONFIGURATION SECTION.
SOURCE-COMPUTER. source-computer-entry.
OBJECT-COMPUTER. object-computer-entry.
[SPECIAL NAMES. special-computer-entry].
INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION.
FILE CONTROL. {file-control-entry}....
[I-O-CONTROL. input-output-control-entry].
For most of the compilers the COBOL source program should at least include the two section headings and the three paragraphs-SOURCE-COMPUTER, OBJECT-COMPUTER and the FILE-CONTROL.
The division headings, section headings and the paragraph headings must be coded as Margin A entries. The paragraph headings should be followed by a space and then a period. The entries in the paragraphs are Margin B entries and can start in similar line with the paragraph heading.