IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. APP. *> Example based upon http://stackoverflow.com/q/938760/1420197 *> More on COBOL @ https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SS6SG3_3.4.0/com.ibm.entcobol.doc_3.4/tpbeg15.htm ENVIRONMENT DIVISION. INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION. FILE-CONTROL. SELECT SYSIN ASSIGN TO KEYBOARD ORGANIZATION LINE SEQUENTIAL. DATA DIVISION. FILE SECTION. FD SYSIN. 01 ln PIC X(64). 88 EOF VALUE HIGH-VALUES. WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. PROCEDURE DIVISION. DISPLAY "Request data: " DISPLAY "------------" OPEN INPUT SYSIN READ SYSIN AT END SET EOF TO TRUE END-READ PERFORM UNTIL EOF DISPLAY ln READ SYSIN AT END SET EOF TO TRUE END-READ END-PERFORM CLOSE SYSIN DISPLAY "------------" STOP RUN.