Rocket® COBOL

Created On:  10 January 2013 Problem: Customer was converting an application from Net Express to Visual COBOL.  The application was using Dialog System and the extension called DSONLINE which allows you to display Windows Help files in the .HLP format from within Dialog System screens.Customer installed the Visual COBOL Compatibility Addpack to provide support for Dialog System in Visual COBOL but the DSONLINE support was not available.  How can an application using Dialog System and DSONLINE callouts be run in Visual COBOL? Resolution: The Dialog System extension DSONLINE was made available in a file named DSONLINE.GNT which exists in the Net Express\\base\\DialogSystem\\bin folder.This file has not been ported to Visual COBOL and it is documented as not being supported in Visual COBOL.If you wish to run your Visual COBOL Dialog System applications that use DSONLINE then you must copy the DSONLINE.GNT file from Net Express to your applications output folder and t

Created On:  18 January 2013 Problem: Customer is converting a Net Express native application to Visual COBOL managed .NET code.Under Net Express the application uses OpenESQL to connect to SQL Server database using ODBC. (SQL(DBMAN=ODBC))It is a multithreaded application so the compiler directive SQL(THREAD=ISOLATE) was being used so that database connections would not be shared between threads.Under Visual COBOL the managed .NET application is using SQL(DBMAN=ADO) and the customer reports that connections to SQL Server are being shared between threads even though they specify SQL(THREAD=ISOLATE). The question would be is the THREAD=ISOLATE directive supported for use with ADO or is it onlu supported for ADO? Resolution: The SQL(THREAD=ISOLATE) directive applies only to ODBC. For managed code, both JDBC and ADO, the SQL runtime isolates SQL runtime instances associated with service requests by using run units rather than threads, in line with recommend

Created On:  03 January 2013 Problem: Customer has created a Windows Forms application in Visual COBOL.The Form has a textbox control and a button control labeled Save.There is a validation event handler for the textbox which displays a message if the textbox is blank and sets e::Cancel to true.The AutoValidate property for the window is EnablePreventFocus and its AcceptButton property is set to the save button.  The button's text property is set to "&Save" so that ALT-S will cause the button's click event.The button has a handler for the click event which closes the form.If the textbox is left blank and the button is clicked, the validation fails and focus remains on the textbox which is correct. If text is then entered in the textbox and either ALT-S or ENTER is pressed, the validation event code successfully completes but the button's click event handler is not performed.If the button is clicked again the click

Created On:  18 January 2013 Problem: Customer installed Net Express 5.1 WP 5 on a Windows 2008 server in Japan. The Net Express IDE now shows all of the toolbars in Japanese. When this happened in Windows 2003 servers, They just copied the BASE/bin/Lang/01 folder contents to 20 and this fixed the problem. Unfortunately, this tact is not working on the Windows 2008 server. Is there another way to set the IDE to display in English? Customer is using Studio Enterprise Edition 6.0 Resolution: First check to see what version you downloaded from the Micro Focus website. Under “Help” it would show whether or not this is in fact an English version. However, if this still shows the IDE in a different language than the one you wanted you should Check the operating system installation. Ex. Windows 2003, 2008 etc. In this case the customer missed the language setting when he installed Windows 2008. The Windows 2008 version of the Regional Language settings is different than the previo

Created On:  07 January 2013 Problem: When compiling your application you receive a 114 error:Executon error : file 'pic4mat'eror code: 114, pc=0, call=1, seg=0114 error message text not found(Signal 11) Resolution: This error is given on applications which were compiled using Net Express 4.0 or previous versions. You will need to upgrade your development environment to version later than 4.0 and recompile your application (preferably the latest version of Net Express). Incident #2605630 Old KB# 36711

Created On:  20 December 2012 Problem: Does WIN$VERSION work on newest Microsoft platforms?  What are the values returned? Resolution: The values returned by a WIN$VERSION executed using ACUCOBOL Runtime 9.1.2.1 are:for Windows 8:WIN-MAJOR-VERSION = 6WIN-MINOR-VERSION = 2WIN-PLATFORM = 3WIN-WORDSIZE = 3WIN-BUILDNUMBER = 9200 WIN-CSDVERSION =WIN-SERVICEPACK-MAJOR = 0WIN-SERVICEPACK-MINOR = 0 WIN-SUITEMASK = 0256 WIN-PRODUCTTYPE = 1for Windows Server 2012:WIN-MAJOR-VERSION = 6WIN-MINOR-VERSION = 2WIN-PLATFORM = 3WIN-WORDSIZE = 3WIN-BUILDNUMBER = 9200 WIN-CSDVERSION =WIN-SERVICEPACK-MAJOR = 0WIN-SERVICEPACK-MINOR = 0 WIN-SUITEMASK = 0272WIN-PRODUCTTYPE = 3The attachements shows the same values in a graphical way. Incident #2600608 Attachments winversion-of-win8.jpgwinversion-of-win2012.jpg Old KB# 36689#COBOL#archive

Created On:  21 December 2012 Problem: If you use keybcf to configure any key which starts with the escape character as the first character in its sequence, you cannot use the Escape key. Resolution: In order to resolve this, configure the Escape function as escape escape, that is, two escapes. You are then able to use this function by pressing Escape twice.Use adiscf to set the compatibility key list option in the ADISCTRL file. Use option 22 for this.Use option 2 to say use the compatibility key list.Save and exit adiscf.Now you can configure the cobkeymp file, using keybcf. Function key 0 press x getting into hex inputmode. Type in 1b 1b   ( press the space bar) press return.The escape key is now configured it will return a 1, 0, 0 in crt-status when you press the escape key twice in the application.Make sure the x’1B’ is not configured anywhere else if it is remove it check function key 27.Use the review option to look at the compatibility key list the e

Created On:  11 January 2013 Problem: Customer is converting from RM COBOL to Visual COBOL and would like an example of how to configure the file handler to use the RM file handler so that he can access existing ISAM files.  Customer is using Visual COBOL 2.1. Resolution: Customer is using Visual COBOL 2.1 which has some new features for easier configuration of the target file handler than previous releases of Visual COBOL.There is a simple demo attached to this article.Download and unzip this to your C:\\drive retaining the folder structure in the zip file as some of the file assignments are dependant upon this structure. *----------------------------------------------------------------**                          ISAMDemoNativeRM ** This example program demonstrates how to setup indexed file * handling in a native Visual COBOL handling

Created On:  15 January 2013 Problem: An executable that is built with Net Express 5.1 WrapPack 6 (5.106.0079) or Net Express 5.1 WrapPack 7 (5.107.0047) fails to run on Server 5.1 with the following error message:"Entry point _codeset could not be located in the dynamic link library cblrtss.dll" Resolution: This error usually occurs when running an executable that was built with Net Express 5.1 WrapPack 6 or Net Express 5.1 WrapPack 7 on Server 5.1 that does not have the same or more recent WrapPack level.You will need to upgrade your Server 5.1 to the same wrappack level that was used to compile the executable. Incidents #2603841, 2606944, 2613106 Old KB# 36737#_codesetcblrtss.dllwrappack5.1

Created On:  21 January 2013 Problem: The output of the Apptrack "License List" and "License Summary" is sometimes confusing. Resolution: In Apptrack the first menu item is "1. License List".  This shows the properties of all licenses installed in Apptrack, with a sequence number for each, and separated by lines of hyphen characters, for example: --------------------------------------------00001...--------------------------------------------00002... All licenses in Apptrack are "runtime" licenses, i.e. they give permission for COBOL programs to run.  This is in contrast to Server Express licenses, also known as "compiler" or "development" licenses, which allow the COBOL compiler to be used, and which are installed into the separate LMF license manager, and administered using a separate utility named "mflmadm" (not Apptrack). There are two main types of runtime licenses in Apptrack.  The first is Developer Usage runtime licenses.  In the Apptrack Licen

Created On:  11 January 2013 Problem: Customer has requirement to read in and process a Unicode text file which is stored in UTF-16 LE format. The fields in each record are delimited by a UTF-16 tab character and records are delimited by UTF-16 CRLF characters. How can a file such as this be read and processed in a Net Express application? Resolution: Net Express does not support this type of file directly but attached is a sample program that will read it using the CBL byte stream file routines and will parse the individual data records from the file and then further parse each record into its tab delimited fields placing the fields in a PIC N field for processing as UTF-16 data. Here is the source code to the demo:*------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**                      CONVERTUTF16    &

Created On:  11 January 2013 Problem: Customer has a Visual COBOL application that resides on a remote server, on which COBOL Server is installed.  They install all of their user licenses on this remote server using the Micro Focus License Manager.Users attached to this remote server also have COBOL Server installed on their workstations as they will be running the application locally, executing it from the remote server.Instead of installing a user license locally onto each of these workstations, the customer would like the local Micro Focus License Manager to look on the remote server for the centralized license that has been installed.Is there a way to configure the local Micro Focus License Manager to look at the remote server for licenses as part of a silent installation of the COBOL Server product on the workstations? Resolution: Yes, there is a command line utility that can be run after the silent install of COBOL Server has been done on the workstation. The fol

Created On:  20 December 2012 Problem: Working and debugging an application in Thin Client mode, the remote clients usually are remapped on the server to an unique local user-name. This causes different developers/testers to work in debug using an unique .adb file. Since developers may create their own breakpoints, the .adb file is constantly rewritten. Sometimes the file may become corrupted, breakpoints lost or the multiple accesses at the same time may cause remote debuggers to hang. Is it possible to isolate this file so that each user has its own file? Resolution: In order to have different debug files for different working users, you need to make sure you have different values of USER-ID for each local user-name. The best way to do that is to log in as different users, not have everyone use the same username. This means that you must have in the AcuAccess file and these variables in you acurcl.cfg file: SECURITY_METHOD   LOGONWINNT_LOGON_DOMAIN &nbs

Created On:  20 December 2012 Problem: Acubench 9.1 returns "license file not found". Which are the correct licenses to use? Resolution: Acubench 9.1 used to have an issue with the license file. As a matter of fact, extend 9.1.0 and 9.1.1 contains AcuBench 9.0.1. You must expand the AcuBench license code and key with a 9.0.1 activator. For these releases, there is a 9.0.1 activator included in the AcuBench directory. The related acubench.alc file must contain:#  Product........: AcuBench#  Version........: 9.0.0 and usually is located inside this directory:%allusersprofile%\\Micro Focus\\extend\\9.0.1\\x86 This issue is now fixed in 9.1.2.1. So, this release and later need a 9.1.2.1 license which must contain:#  Product........: AcuBench#  Version........: 9.1.0 This acubench license file is located in this Windows directory:%allusersprofile%\\Micro Focus\\extend\\9.1.2\\x86 Incidents #2605858, 2602885 Attachments acubench-license-not-

Created On:  18 January 2013 Problem: How do I get the compilers to support Cobol 68 style copy statements? 01 SOME-NAME COPY SOME Copy. The first line of the copy book (01) is replaced by the SOMENAME value when the copy occurs. $SET OLDCOPY – First line of program. (Directive) They were getting the following errors when trying to use the OLDCOPY directive with ENTCOBOL dialect. COBCH2043W OLDCOPY incompatible with flagging dialect: C:\\xxx\\xxx\\COBOL\\CMN\\A13B002R.CBL (1, 6) COBCH0634S Feature not supported in selected dialect: C:\\xxx\\xxx\\COBOL\\CMN\\A13B002R.CBL,c:\\lam\\mpi\\copy\\cmn\\TEPREC.CPY(2,9) Resolution: Make sure the following dialects are set: Dialect: non-mainframe Additional dialects: Dialect"MF" OSVS Incident #2572427 Old KB# 36743#dialect#COBOL#COBOL68#Enterprise#COPYBOOKS

Created On:  09 January 2013 Problem: In the Visual COBOL documentation it shows a sample command line for installing Safenet licenses using the CesAdminTool as follows:     start /wait\\bin\\cesadmintool –term activate AuthorizationCodeHowever, when the following is run placing quotes around the command name because of spaces in the folder name an error occurs:     start /wait "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Common Files\\SafeNet Sentinel\\Sentinel RMS License Manager\\WinNT\\cesadmintool" -term activate 1234567890123456What is the correct command line to use to install a Safenet license from the command line? Resolution: It seems that the problem occurs because the start command expects there to be a title parameter present when starting it this way.  Placing a dummy title in the command line as follows will fix the problem:   start /wait "" "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Common Files\\SafeNet Sentinel\\Sentinel RMS License

Created On:  27 November 2012 Problem: Import large project 2500 COBOL source files and 5000 copy books. A process is automatically started that will index all the source code and copy books so that ECLIPSE IDE navigation can take place of variables in copy books. This may take a long time. Resolution: In the Window/preferences/Micro Focus COBOL/Builder Page,  set the ‘Enable Indexer’ check box to off. Incident #2602944 Old KB# 36637

Created On:  03 December 2012 Problem: When trying to install an AcuCobol product on Linux the error message appears - libc.so.6.1: version `GLIBC_2.3.4' not found. Resolution: To install an AcuCobol product on a Linux machine the minimum Operating System requirement is GLIBC_2.3.4.  The customer should be advised to upgrade the Linux platform to at least this level. Old KB# 36653#COBOL

Created On:  27 November 2012 Problem: There are Stored Procedures that are causing the MicroFocus.COBOL.FileHandler warning that is preventing the ability to publish to the SQL Server 2012 database. Resolution: Use NOOUTDD directive Incident #2602526 Old KB# 36638#COBOL

Created On:  16 November 2012 Problem: Do I need an authorisation code when installing Visual COBOl Development Hub Product? Resolution: No, when installing the Visual COBOL Development Hub product it will install a 30 day Evaluation license automatically, then you have 30 days to aquire a Full License and install this via the APPTRACK utility. NA Old KB# 36612#COBOL

Created On:  14 December 2012 Problem: What is the safe maximum number of parameters that can be passed to a COM object from an unmanaged COBOL program? Resolution: Any application that call a COM componment needs to be built with the OOCTRL( P) compiler directive. This directive limits the number of parameters passed on an invoke to 31.If an application passed more than 31 then an RTS114 or RTS252 runtime error may result.To work round this limitation you can design the COM method so that is accepts another COM object as a parameter. The parameters can be set as properties on this object that is passed. Alternatively properties could be exposed on the COM object and set before the invoke is made to the method. Incident #2597978 Old KB# 36679#COBOL

Created On:  04 December 2012 Problem: The error message produced is: "Acubench Integrated Development Environment has stopped working". Sometimes, when compiling a COBOL program, AcuBench would crash. This was due to a correction made in 9.1.2 that removed memory leaks. Resolution: This issue has been resolved by ECN-WB915: SUBJECT: AcuBench crash on build Change Number: ECN-WB915 Status: Complete Type of Change: Correction Priority: High Incidents: 2597131 RPI Number: 1086395 Date: 2012-11-13 Product: AcuBench Module: ccbldll.dll New Version: 9.2.0 Machines Affected: Windows only Known Versions Affected: 9.1.2 and later DESCRIPTION of problem or enhancement: Sometimes, when compiling a COBOL program, AcuBench would crash. This was due to a correction made in 9.1.2 that removed memory leaks.Please either request or raise an incident with the Micro Focus Supportline and request this patch for V9.1.2. The next AcuCobol version release is extend V9.2.0 which  is cu

Created On:  30 November 2012 Problem: Customer would like to set a breakpoint when animating in Server Express, so that the program breaks whenever the value of a particular data item changes.  Is this possible? Resolution: For the Animator in Server Express, you cannot set a global break condition (i.e. unassociated with a particular statement in the Procedure Division), where execution would stop whenever the value of a data-item changes. This was a feature of earlier releases of MF COBOL, such as Workbench and Object COBOL Developer's Suite, but it's not in Server Express. Instead, you will have to set a breakpoint on a particular statement, using the If option in the Breakbpoint menu. Execution will break on that statement if/when: That statement is reached, and the condition is met. Old KB# 36647

Created On:  20 November 2012 Problem: The Visual COBOL v2.1 documentation states that the return parameter for the C$SetEnv RM library call within is optional. Syntax: CALL "C$SetEnv" USING name, value [, return] Parameters: name  PIC X(n) value  PIC X(n) return PIC 9(n) BINARY, where n can be a digit from 1 to 9 However if the "return" parameter is not used an ArrayIndexOutOfBounds Exception occurs. Resolution: The return parameter must be used. Incident #2602271 Old KB# 36621#ArrayIndexOutOfBounds#CSetEnv#COBOL

Created On:  10 December 2012 Problem: Program that uses an ActiveX control works Ok with Windows runtime version 9.1.2.1 when it runs standalone; but with thin client it crashes, the program works Ok with previous Thin Client versions. Resolution: The problem is due to the ECN-4159 introduced in version 9.1.2.1, while development still is investigating this problem, the solution is to turn off the runtime configuration variable ECN-4159, like this:   ECN-4159 OFF Incident #2603362 Old KB# 36669