GE - Greater or Equal

Key Characteristics

• • JCL COND Parameter: In JCL, GE is used within the COND parameter to specify that a job step should be executed only if the return code from a preceding step is *greater than or equal to* a specified value. For example, COND=(4,GE) means "execute this step only if the previous step's return code was 4 or greater."
  • COBOL Relational Operator: In COBOL, GE is a reserved word used in IF statements and PERFORM...UNTIL constructs to compare two data items. The condition A GE B is true if the value of A is greater than or equal to the value of B.
  • Logical Equivalence: Logically, GE is equivalent to the mathematical operator >=. It checks for both strict inequality (greater than) and equality.
  • Impact on Program Flow: Its primary role is to enable conditional execution, allowing programs or job streams to react dynamically to data values or the success/failure status of previous operations.

Use Cases

• • JCL Step Execution Control: Preventing a subsequent job step from running if a critical preceding step terminated with a high return code (e.g., COND=(8,GE) to skip steps if a severe error occurred, indicating a major error).
  • COBOL Data Validation: Checking if an input field's value meets a minimum threshold, such as IF INPUT-AMOUNT GE MIN-ORDER-VALUE THEN PERFORM PROCESS-ORDER.
  • Loop Termination in COBOL: Controlling the iteration of a loop until a counter reaches or exceeds a specific limit, like PERFORM VARYING I FROM 1 BY 1 UNTIL I GE MAX-COUNT.
  • Resource Availability Checks: In system utilities or custom programs, checking if a resource count or available space is GE a required minimum before proceeding with an operation that consumes that resource.

Related Concepts