Re: free implementation? factorial?

So  (based on your version) what about :

>        identification division.
>        program-id. FactorialPgm.
>        data division.
>        working-storage section.
>        01 Working-Fields
05  result pic 9(8).
>              05   Num pic 9(8).   *> Using "N" as a data-name is not
> considered good COBOL.
05  Num-Redefined Redefines Num Pic X(8).
>        procedure division.
>        main-line.
>                display "Enter a positive number: "
with no advancing   *> with no advancing MIGHT produce
undesired results
>                accept n
If Num-Redefined numeric   *> some accept/display may not
prevent bad input for PIC N fields
Compute Result = Function Factorial (Num)
On Size Error
Display "Number  larger than 8 digits"
Not On Size Error
>                                display "Factorial(" Num ")= " result
End-Compute
Else
Display  "Unable to determine FACTORIAL for non-numeric
input"
End-If
>               Stop Run.


--
Bill Klein
wmklein <at> ix.netcom.com
"Nicolas Neuss" <firstname.lastname@iwr.uni-heidelberg.de> wrote in message
news:87d5izqdto.fsf@ortler.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de...
> Peter Lacey <lacey@mts.net> writes:
> 
>
> I do not necessarily want a recursive solution.  I want a solution which
> fits the language best.  At the moment, combining the suggestions obtained
> here, I favor the following:
>
>        identification division.
>        program-id. factorial.
>        environment division.
>        data division.
>        working-storage section.
>        77  result pic 9(8).
>        77  n pic 9(8).
>        77  i pic 9(8).
>        procedure division.
>        main-line.
>                display "Enter a positive number: " with no advancing
>                accept n
>                move 1 to result.
>                perform varying i from 1 by 1 until i>n
>                        multiply result by i giving result
>                end-perform
>                display "Factorial(" n ")= " result
>                stop run.
>
> This version works for my implementation, and is acceptable for Cobol
> programmers, I hope.  But I am open to further improvements...
>
> Thank you very much,
>
> Nicolas.