The "SET" and "MOVE" verbs in COBOL serve different purposes in data manipulation.
"SET" Verb: The "SET" verb in COBOL is used to assign specific values to variables or data items. It allows you to set a value to a variable, an individual character within a data item, or even a group of related data items in a single statement. The "SET" verb is mainly used to initialize or modify the content of variables during program execution.
"MOVE" Verb: The "MOVE" verb is used for the assignment of data from one data item to another. It transfers the entire content of one data item (e.g., variable, field, or record) to another data item of a compatible data type. The "MOVE" verb is commonly used for copying data between variables or for data transfer between different data structures like record-to-record or file-to-file.
In summary, the "SET" verb is used for directly assigning specific values to variables or parts of data items, while the "MOVE" verb is employed for copying entire data items from one location to another. The choice between "SET" and "MOVE" depends on the specific data manipulation requirement in your COBOL program.