Why can't we use s9(02).9(02) in cobol?

Answer 1

In COBOL, a period is the statement delimiter so you can't use it in a PICTURE clause. Instead, use a V to represent the implied decimal point such as S9(02)V9(02)

Answer 2

You can't use a period in a picture clause because a period has a specific meaning in COBOL syntax - it denotes the end of a command and so on. Instead, you would specify s9(02)v9(02) where the v represents the placement of the decimal point.