![\"COBOL\"](\"https:\/\/www.kaashivinfotech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/COBOL.webp\")
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Difference Between Search and Search All \u2014 if you have ever written any lines of code in COBOL, you may have Googled this once or twice.
\nAnd for real?
\nSame here.<\/p>\n
Difference Between Search and Search All is one of those topics that seems easy at first\u2026 and then isn\u2019t. When I first learned COBOL, I would mix them up so often that my mentor joked I had some secret love for debugging infinite loops. \ud83d\ude05<\/p>\n
So in this article, I\u2019m going to break it all down in the most human way, friendly way that I can \u2014 with real examples, relatable insights, and usable explanations.
\nMy hope?
\nBy the end of this, you will never again mix up Search and Search All.<\/p>\n
When somebody asks for a distinction between Search and Search All, what they normally want is really simple:<\/strong> So, let me get this out of the way right now. That’s the bottom line. Differences Between Search and Search All in COBOL You Can\u2019t Ignore<\/p>\n This is like looking at your contacts list without using the search bar.<\/p>\n When I first started, I used SEARCH everywhere because it\u2019s predictable. Slow, yes \u2014 but predictable.<\/p>\n I once used SEARCH to find a student\u2019s roll number from a 10-record table my instructor gave me. Binary search works like this:<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n– \u201cJust tell me the difference.\u201d
\n– \u201cJust tell me when I use which one.\u201d
\n– \u201cGive me an explanation as if I am not a walking compiler.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nSearch = linear search
\nSearch All = binary search<\/p>\n
\nBut of course, it’s COBOL. Nothing is ever that brief. So let’s try to go deeper in a way that makes some sense.<\/p>\n1. What does SEARCH do in COBOL? (Includes the main keyword \ud83d\ude04)<\/h2>\n
SEARCH is the most straightforward way to search an array in COBOL. It executes a linear search, which essentially means:<\/h3>\n
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Example Code (SEARCH)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
SEARCH ARR\r\n AT END DISPLAY \"NOT FOUND\"\r\n WHEN RNO(I) = SEARCHRNO\r\n DISPLAY \"FOUND ROLL NUMBER\"\r\nEND-SEARCH.\r\n<\/pre>\n
Real-life example:<\/h3>\n
Was it fast? No.
Did it work well for small data? Absolutely.<\/p>\n2. What does SEARCH ALL mean in COBOL? (Secondary Keyword Inside \ud83d\ude09)<\/h2>\n
Now, let\u2019s cover the \u201cfaster brother\u201d in the Search and Search All family \u2014 SEARCH ALL.<\/h3>\n
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![\"Search](\"https:\/\/www.kaashivinfotech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Search-All-in-COBOL.webp\")
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Example Code (SEARCH ALL)<\/h3>\n
SEARCH ALL ARR\r\n AT END DISPLAY \"NOT FOUND ROLL NUMBER\"\r\n WHEN RNO(I) = SEARCHRNO\r\n DISPLAY \"FOUND ROLL NUMBER\"\r\nEND-SEARCH.\r\n<\/pre>\n
3. Differences Between Search and Search All<\/h2>\n
Now let’s go through the real Differences Between Search and Search All, in a clean table that you can bookmark, screenshot, or tattoo (just kidding… or am I? \ud83d\ude05).<\/h3>\n
![\"Search](\"https:\/\/www.kaashivinfotech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/What-Is-WordPress-13-300x169.webp\")