GOBACK Statement

GOBACK statement specifies the logical end of a program and gives the control back from where it was received.

Syntax -

GOBACK.

Points to Note -

It should be the last statement in PROCEDURE DIVISION.
It can code in both the main program and sub-program.
It works like the EXIT PROGRAM statement when coded in a subprogram
It works like the STOP RUN statement when it is coded in a mainprogram.

Practical Example -

Scenario - Dynamic Call from MAINPROG to SUBPROG and receiving the result back from SUBPROG.

MAINPROG -

Full Example

----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5----+
       ...
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01 WS-VAR.
          05 WS-INP1      PIC 9(02) VALUE 47. *> Input1
          05 WS-INP2      PIC 9(02) VALUE 25. *> Input2
          05 WS-RESULT    PIC 9(04).          *> Result Variable
		  05 WS-SUBPROG   PIC X908) VALUE 'SUBPROG'.
       ...
	   PROCEDURE DIVISION. 
	  * Calling subprogram staically with two inputs 
      * and receiving the result from SUBPROG
           CALL WS-SUBPROG USING WS-INP1, WS-INP2, WS-RESULT.

           DISPLAY "INPUTS:  " WS-INP1 ", " WS-INP2.
           DISPLAY "RESULTS: " WS-RESULT.
           STOP RUN.

SUBPROG -

----+----1----+----2----+----3----+----4----+----5----+
       ...
       LINKAGE SECTION.
       01 LK-INP1      PIC 9(02).  *> To receive input1 from MAINPROG
       01 LK-INP2      PIC 9(02).  *> To receive input2 from MAINPROG
       01 LK-RESULT    PIC 9(04).  *> To send result to MAINPROG
       ...
	  *Receiving data from main program CALL statement
       PROCEDURE DIVISION USING LK-INP1, LK-INP2, LK-RESULT. 

           COMPUTE LK-RESULT = LK-INP1 * LK-INP2.
           GOBACK.

JCL -

//MATEPKRJ JOB MSGLEVEL=(1,1),NOTIFY=&SYSUID     
//***********************************************
//*  RUN A COBOL PROGRAM 
//***********************************************
//STEP01  EXEC PGM=MAINPROG
//STEPLIB  DD  DSN=MATEPK.COBOL.LOADLIB,DISP=SHR 
//SYSOUT   DD  SYSOUT=*

Output -

INPUTS:  47, 25
RESULTS:  1175