Editing Pointer (computer programming) (section)

===COBOL===
The [[COBOL]] programming language supports pointers to variables. Primitive or group (record) data objects declared within the <code>LINKAGE SECTION</code> of a program are inherently pointer-based, where the only memory allocated within the program is space for the address of the data item (typically a single memory word). In program source code, these data items are used just like any other <code>WORKING-STORAGE</code> variable, but their contents are implicitly accessed indirectly through their <code>LINKAGE</code> pointers.

Memory space for each pointed-to data object is typically [[dynamic memory allocation|allocated dynamically]] using external [[subroutine|<code>CALL</code>]] statements or via embedded extended language constructs such as [[EXEC CICS|<code>EXEC CICS</code>]] or [[SQL|<code>EXEC SQL</code>]] statements.

Extended versions of COBOL also provide pointer variables declared with <code>USAGE</code> <code>IS</code> <code>POINTER</code> clauses. The values of such pointer variables are established and modified using <code>SET</code> and <code>SET</code> <code>ADDRESS</code> statements.

Some extended versions of COBOL also provide <code>PROCEDURE-POINTER</code> variables, which are capable of storing the [[function pointer|addresses of executable code]].