Learn Natural-scripting - 10 Code Examples & CST Typing Practice Test

Natural Scripting refers to the use of the Natural programming language (from Software AG) to create applications, automate business logic, and interact with databases, especially within mainframe and enterprise environments.

View all 10 Natural-scripting code examples →

Simple Natural Program Natural Loop Example Natural Database Read Example Natural Conditional Example Natural Input and Display Example Natural Arithmetic Example Natural Loop with Database Natural Subroutine Example Natural String Manipulation Natural Exit Condition in Loop

Learn NATURAL-SCRIPTING with Real Code Examples

Updated Nov 27, 2025

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Code Sample Descriptions

Simple Natural Program

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    END-DEFINE
WRITE 'Hello, Natural World!'
END

Print a greeting message.

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Natural Loop Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 I (N)
END-DEFINE
FOR I = 1 TO 5
    WRITE 'Number: ' I
END-FOR
END

Loop through numbers 1 to 5 and display them.

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Natural Database Read Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 CUSTOMER-VIEW VIEW OF CUSTOMER
        2 CUST-ID
        2 CUST-NAME
END-DEFINE
FIND CUSTOMER-VIEW BY CUST-ID = 10001
    DISPLAY CUST-NAME
END-FIND
END

Read records from an Adabas file and display a field.

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Natural Conditional Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 AGE (N)
END-DEFINE
READ 'Enter age: ' AGE
IF AGE >= 18
    WRITE 'Adult'
ELSE
    WRITE 'Minor'
END-IF
END

Check a value and print messages based on condition.

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Natural Input and Display Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 NAME (A20)
END-DEFINE
INPUT 'Enter your name: ' NAME
WRITE 'Welcome, ' NAME
END

Prompt user for name and display a welcome message.

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Natural Arithmetic Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 A (N)
    1 B (N)
    1 SUM (N)
    1 PROD (N)
END-DEFINE
INPUT 'Enter A: ' A
INPUT 'Enter B: ' B
SUM := A + B
PROD := A * B
WRITE 'Sum: ' SUM
WRITE 'Product: ' PROD
END

Compute sum and product of two numbers.

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Natural Loop with Database

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 CUSTOMER-VIEW VIEW OF CUSTOMER
        2 CUST-ID
        2 CUST-NAME
END-DEFINE
FIND CUSTOMER-VIEW WITH CUST-ID NE 0
    DISPLAY CUST-ID CUST-NAME
END-FIND
END

Loop through all customer records and display names.

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Natural Subroutine Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 USERNAME (A20)
END-DEFINE
INPUT 'Enter your name: ' USERNAME
PERFORM GREET(USERNAME)
END
DEFINE SUBROUTINE GREET(NAME)
    WRITE 'Hello, ' NAME
END-SUBROUTINE

Call a subroutine to greet a user.

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Natural String Manipulation

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 INPUT-STR (A20)
    1 UPPER-STR (A20)
END-DEFINE
INPUT 'Enter string: ' INPUT-STR
UPPER-STR := CONVERT(INPUT-STR, 'UPPER')
WRITE 'Uppercase: ' UPPER-STR
END

Convert input string to uppercase and display.

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Natural Exit Condition in Loop

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 NUM (N)
END-DEFINE
DO
    INPUT 'Enter number (0 to quit): ' NUM
    IF NUM = 0
        EXIT
    ENDIF
    WRITE 'You entered: ' NUM
END-DO
END

Loop until user enters 0.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Natural-scripting

What is Natural-scripting?

What are the primary use cases for Natural-scripting?

Automating enterprise business processes. Building database-centric applications on mainframes. Creating batch jobs for reporting and transaction processing. Rapid prototyping of business logic applications. Integrating with legacy systems and middleware

What are the strengths of Natural-scripting?

Rapid development for business applications. Readable and maintainable syntax. Efficient database operations for large datasets. Mature, stable language with decades of use. Compatible with legacy mainframe and server systems

What are the limitations of Natural-scripting?

Proprietary, mainly tied to Software AG ecosystem. Limited modern IDE and tooling support compared to contemporary languages. Steep learning curve for newcomers unfamiliar with 4GLs. Less community support than mainstream languages. Primarily suited for database-centric applications, not general-purpose programming

How can I practice Natural-scripting typing speed?

CodeSpeedTest offers 10+ real Natural-scripting code examples for typing practice. You can measure your WPM, track accuracy, and improve your coding speed with guided exercises.

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Code Sample Descriptions

Simple Natural Program

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    END-DEFINE
WRITE 'Hello, Natural World!'
END

Print a greeting message.

Let’s Try →

Natural Loop Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 I (N)
END-DEFINE
FOR I = 1 TO 5
    WRITE 'Number: ' I
END-FOR
END

Loop through numbers 1 to 5 and display them.

Let’s Try →

Natural Database Read Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 CUSTOMER-VIEW VIEW OF CUSTOMER
        2 CUST-ID
        2 CUST-NAME
END-DEFINE
FIND CUSTOMER-VIEW BY CUST-ID = 10001
    DISPLAY CUST-NAME
END-FIND
END

Read records from an Adabas file and display a field.

Let’s Try →

Natural Conditional Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 AGE (N)
END-DEFINE
READ 'Enter age: ' AGE
IF AGE >= 18
    WRITE 'Adult'
ELSE
    WRITE 'Minor'
END-IF
END

Check a value and print messages based on condition.

Let’s Try →

Natural Input and Display Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 NAME (A20)
END-DEFINE
INPUT 'Enter your name: ' NAME
WRITE 'Welcome, ' NAME
END

Prompt user for name and display a welcome message.

Let’s Try →

Natural Arithmetic Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 A (N)
    1 B (N)
    1 SUM (N)
    1 PROD (N)
END-DEFINE
INPUT 'Enter A: ' A
INPUT 'Enter B: ' B
SUM := A + B
PROD := A * B
WRITE 'Sum: ' SUM
WRITE 'Product: ' PROD
END

Compute sum and product of two numbers.

Let’s Try →

Natural Loop with Database

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 CUSTOMER-VIEW VIEW OF CUSTOMER
        2 CUST-ID
        2 CUST-NAME
END-DEFINE
FIND CUSTOMER-VIEW WITH CUST-ID NE 0
    DISPLAY CUST-ID CUST-NAME
END-FIND
END

Loop through all customer records and display names.

Let’s Try →

Natural Subroutine Example

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 USERNAME (A20)
END-DEFINE
INPUT 'Enter your name: ' USERNAME
PERFORM GREET(USERNAME)
END
DEFINE SUBROUTINE GREET(NAME)
    WRITE 'Hello, ' NAME
END-SUBROUTINE

Call a subroutine to greet a user.

Let’s Try →

Natural String Manipulation

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 INPUT-STR (A20)
    1 UPPER-STR (A20)
END-DEFINE
INPUT 'Enter string: ' INPUT-STR
UPPER-STR := CONVERT(INPUT-STR, 'UPPER')
WRITE 'Uppercase: ' UPPER-STR
END

Convert input string to uppercase and display.

Let’s Try →

Natural Exit Condition in Loop

DEFINE DATA LOCAL
    1 NUM (N)
END-DEFINE
DO
    INPUT 'Enter number (0 to quit): ' NUM
    IF NUM = 0
        EXIT
    ENDIF
    WRITE 'You entered: ' NUM
END-DO
END

Loop until user enters 0.

Let’s Try →

Frequently Asked Questions about Natural-scripting

What is Natural-scripting?

What are the primary use cases for Natural-scripting?

What are the strengths of Natural-scripting?

What are the limitations of Natural-scripting?

How can I practice Natural-scripting typing speed?

CodeSpeedTest offers 10+ real Natural-scripting code examples for typing practice. You can measure your WPM, track accuracy, and improve your coding speed with guided exercises.