Variables in COBOL are either elementary or group items and correspond loosely to primitive variables (such as integers, characters, and real numbers) and objects in the Java programming language. COBOL is not strongly typed like the Java programming language, however. In COBOL, you define a "picture" of what can be stored in the variable whereas the Java programming language requires a rigid type to be associated with that data storage element. A "PIC" can be alphabetic (A), alphanumeric (X), or numeric (9). The commonly used Java programming language primitives are boolean, char, String, int, and float.

COBOL uses level numbers on all data items:

• 01 is reserved for group names, which begin in area A
• elementary items begin in area B and use user-defined level values

You initialize items with a VALUE clause such as:

01  Result         PIC 99 VALUE ZEROS.

In the Java programming language, there are no level numbers. You must explicitly label something as a primitive or a class (similar to a "group") definition. You initialize variables with an assignment operator:

int result = 0;