Rocket® COBOL

Created On:  09 December 2010 Problem: When creating an ASP.NET Web Site in Visual COBOL a run-time error occurs when trying to store an object into the Session object.This is ocurring because the Session object is not being instantiated so a NULL reference error occurs.Example: code behind program snippet for web page:class-id ShoppingCart is partial inherits type Page.           set mycontext to type System.Web.HttpContext::Current           set mystring to "TestSession"           set mycontext::Session::Item("TestItems") to mystring *> An error occurs on the above statement Resolution: Creating an ASP.NET Web Site in COBOL is quite different than creating an ASP.NET Web Project in that the latter has a Global.asax that handles Session_Start events that populates the session object. However, a simple change

Created On:  24 November 2010 Problem: I see a RaceOnRCWCleanup MDA when debugging COBOL WPF applications. Resolution: If you compile a COBOL WPF application for either x64 or AnyCPU on a 64-bit machine, when debugging it you might see Visual Studio display a Managed Debugging Assistant (MDA) warning you of the condition RaceOnRCWCleanup when the application exits. The default WPF template avoids this condition by including an OnExit handler which finishes with a STOP RUN statement. The OnExit handler is included in the main application class for the project (App.xaml.cbl by default). However, if you include your own handler for the Closed event on the main Window of the application, the OnExit handler is not executed and the MDA will reappear during debugging. Put the Stop Run as the last statement executed in your application code (so at the end of your Closed handler) to make it go away again. MDAs are provided by Visual Studio to warn you of potential problems in an app

Created On:  15 November 2010 Problem: Setting 'skip page after print' to true does not force the second detail to the next page when using html format, and Report Composer does not execute a page break when print preview is used. Resolution: The problem is not the Report Composer but the way that Windows preview API handles the HTML page format. When Internet Explorer's print preview window pops up there are two drop down list boxes, one to select how many pages to display and the other to select the size of the document to display. In the size list box the default value is "Shrink To Fit", that is the cause of the problem. When this option is selected it shrinks the HTML format to fit the page and it does ignores any next page characteristics. The problem can be solved very easily by making the browser fit the full screen using the restore up button in the upper right hand corner, and in the size list box select 100%. One that has been done the pages

Created On:  17 November 2010 Problem: Compiling a large program generates an “Extra segment exceeds 64k” error message. Resolution: The 64K limit is a permanent restriction and the solution is to split the program into smaller programs to ensure that the segment descriptor limit does not exceed 64K.  Alternatively you can reduce some of the unique fields you have in the working storage or screen sections.  One other thing is to look in the PROCEDURE DIVISION for reference modification of large fields and change the logic there if possible. Old KB# 32554

Created On:  16 November 2010 Problem: Prior to version 8.1.0 the date-entry control used to send a NTF-CHANGED event once a date was selected, in version 8.1.0 the control sends an event for every click. This causes the calendar to close immediately, rendering the calendar control largely useless. If you do not specify the NOTIFY-CHANGE property on the DATE-ENTRY, there is no way of knowing the user changed the date. Resolution: This problem was fixed in version 8.1.1 with ecn-3886, there is no available patch for version 8.1.0, the only solution is to upgrade the runtime to 8.1.1 or later. The programs can be compiled with any previous version and be executed with the 8.1.1 runtime. Old KB# 32537

Created On:  16 November 2010 Problem: Thin Client users trying to connect to the application, receive the following message "alias does not exist", after they check the alias file, they discover that the file was empty. Resolution: In version 7.0 the way the alias files is stored on disk was changed: they are now stored as XML files.  However, some XML files cannot be parsed by the parser we use (even though we write them correctly).  Because of this, some people would like to keep the alias files in the old format.     There is a new environment variable ALIAS-FILE-IS-XML.  The default value of TRUE will cause AcuRCL to store alias files as xml files, which is how version 7.0.0 stores the files.  Setting this variable to FALSE will cause acurcl to keep the file as a text .ini file.  Note that this variable needs to be set in the environment when executing "acurcl -alias" (or "acurcl" with the graph

Created On:  12 November 2010 Problem: When installing the AcuCOBOL product onto a Linux platform and creating the licences with activator the following message may appear: ./activator:cannot execute binary file.AcuCOBOL products for Linux are built specifically for the operating system and glibc levels. The error is an indication that the wrong AcuCOBOL product build has been installed. Resolution: Contact Customer Care supportline and supply the following information:1. The PMK number which can be found in the AcuCobol product installation 'lib' directory in the file Makefile2. Details after executing from the command line - rpm -qa | grep glibc3. Details after executing from the command line the 'yum' utility if rpm is not available - yum info glibc4. Details after executing from the command line - uname -a5. The details of the Linux platform on loginThis information will what you have been sent through the PMK number and what the pltorm re

Created On:  12 November 2010 Problem: In the Micro Focus Product Updates web page it is possible to download latest updates for extend Version 8.1.3. In this section, both releases 8.1.3 and 8.1.3.1 are mentioned, but there is no description explaining the difference between them. What change was made between extend 8.1.3 and 8.1.3.1? Resolution: The only difference between 8.1.3 and 8.1.3.1 is an ECN (Engineering Change Notice) that's been further developed because it didn't fully work as expected. The initial issue was switching back from a modeless independent window to the main screen could cause the main menu to not work properly. It activated but it didn't work on the first attempt.  The menu and its sub items displayed but nothing happened on clicking them.This was fixed in 8.1.3 but it generated a different issue where the menu didn't work correctly in paged grid control.  To solve this issue, ECN-4001 has bee

Created On:  17 November 2010 Problem: How do I use the XA switch modules on a deployment server? What is the process for building XA switch modules for use on a deployment system?Can I re-use the XA switch modules from a Development system on the Deployment system?Note, this applies to both Net Express (Windows) and Server Express (UNIX) environments. Resolution: If you are deploying container-managed services under Enterprise Server which require database access, you will additionally need to deploy the XA switch module which provides that access. As the Micro Focus Server product family does not include support for the compilation of COBOL application, you won't be able to rebuild the modules under that product.However, you will be able to use the same modules as tested on your Development/Test machines, but only if the criteria cited below is true.For any reference to "extn" , read DLL (Windows), sl (HP/UX PA-RISC) or so (other supported flavors of UNIX)1.

Created On:  17 November 2010 Problem: Is it possible to connect to Oracle using OS, or External, authentication, rather than specifying an explicit user ID and password? Resolution: Yes.  You firstly need to enable External authentication both server-side, and also client-side (in your network configuration). Oracle cover this within Chapter 10 of their Advanced Security Administrator's Guide.Having configured this -- and verified that it works correctly outside of your COBOL environment, for example, using Oracle's sqlplus utility, you can amend your SQL CONNECT statement to utilise OS authentication by specifying a username/password of / , i.e.    EXEC SQL         CONNECT TO MyServerAlias USER /    END-EXEC Old KB# 32550

Created On:  17 November 2010 Problem: Can you hide the XA Open String from the Enterprise Server web admin page? Is it possible to hide the XA Open String from publically available Enterprise Server web administration pages? For security reasons, I don't want to expose the RDBMS connect criteria through the XA open string. Resolution: From Net Express 5.0 Websync 5, and the latest hotfix for Server Express 5.0 Websync 4, it is now possible to programmatically specify the XA open string within the switch module source itself.The latest switch module sources are attached to this article.Looking firstly at the DB2 (ESDB2XA.CBL) and Oracle (ESORAXA.CBL) switch modules, searching for CUSTOMIZE within the source, you will see code such as this, with the xa-open section.         *> For example:        *>        *> MOVE z"DB=SAMPLE,uid=myuid,pwd=mypasswd,AXLIB

Created On:  17 November 2010 Problem: How can I build and run DB2 Stored Procedures on UNIX? When call a COBOL DB2 Stored Procedure on UNIX, I get a SQL0444N error. When call a COBOL DB2 Stored Procedure on UNIX, I get a SQL1131N error. How can I use the DB2 ECM for creating DB2 Stored Procedures on UNIX ? Resolution: In order to build DB2 LUW applications, you must have installed the DB2 Application Development Client, and preferably also the Application Development Client Samples.DB2 stored procedures execute as a setuid application on UNIX, which means that -- for OS security reasons -- do not inherit the environment when executed. In order to set up your environment, you need to do the following :1. Prior to starting your DB2 instance, set up your COBOL environment, typically COBDIR, PATH, and LD_LIBRARY_PATH/LIBPATH/SHLIB_PATH, as appropriate for your platform.See KB article #32552 for details on how to set up the DB2 environment correctly.2. In order for DB2 to

Created On:  17 November 2010 Problem: Compiling or Executing a DB2 application fails with RTS198 (load failure) against cobsqlecm or cobsqlecm64Compiling a DB2 application returns 801-S sqlecm or dependant module not found errorCompiling a DB2 application rejects all DB2(x) directivesLinking a DB2 application gives a "bad magic number" errorLinking a DB2 application on UNIX returns undefined symbol errors against sqlgstrt, sqlgaloc, sqlgstlv, sqlgcall sqlgstop sqlgintp, and cobdb2 Resolution: In order to compile and execute an application which has been precompiled using IBM's DB2 precompiler, i.e. if you have either :* Compiled your host program with the DB2 compiler directive, or* Precompiled your host program with the DB2 command line precompiler, db2 prep, and   compiled the resultant outputthen you need to have the DB2 environment set up correctly. On some UNIX platforms, you will also need to ensure that the COBOL working mode matches the type

Created On:  04 November 2010 Problem: When using Remote Desktop to run an ACUCOBOL-GT program on a Windows 2008 Terminal Server the print file using SPOOLER-DIRECT doesn't print.  There are no error messages but nothing comes out of the printer.  Printing using SPOOLER does print as expected. Resolution: Terminal Services Easy Print was introduced with Windows Server 2008. It is a proxy for every print action that simply redirects all printing-related work to the user's local machine without the need to install any print drivers on the Terminal Services server.  The client PC's printers are exposed to programs running on the server and are identified with "(redirected 3)" when viewing the printers available.  In that example the 3 is the Terminal Services session id.The Easy Print driver creates a print file in XPS format, then transfers it to the client PC where it is printed.  SPOOLER-DIRECT will not work with Term

Created On:  11 November 2010 Problem: Acuserve start fails and the system returns this error message: "Unable to add user". Resolution: This error message is generated when acushare is not running and cannot be started.  Usually, acushare starts automatically when acuserver or acurcl are launched. If Acushare crashes for any reason, its shared memory queue may become corrupt which will prevent acushare from being able to restart.To solve this situation, Acushare clean must be executed before starting AcuServer, AcuConnect or executing other processes that require Acushare. Incident #2485786 Old KB# 32444

Created On:  04 November 2010 Problem: First, some background on .ipf files:.ipf files are created when using the Profiler facility in Server Express. This is the procedure to do that:1. Use the PROFILE compiler directive with the cob command when compiling the program. That directive can be set in a number of ways, such as usage in a directives file or by placement in the compile command after the -C flag, as in this example:    cob -xv -C PROFILE {program-name}This creates an executable which can then be used to create the .ipf file.(Note: .ipf files can also be created using .int, .gnt and .so files, not just when using executables. You would of course still use the PROFILE compiler directive as indicated in the compile commands used to create the .int, .gnt and .so files).2. The .ipf file is then created when you run the program:    cobrun {program-name}This results in a .ipf file being created in your current working directory. 

Created On:  04 November 2010 Problem: Before upgrading from Runtime version 6.1 to 8.1.3, when the Unix Runtime process (runcbl) ended, the program's displays remained visible on the console.  Now with version 8.1.3 the program seems to run in a separate space and the displays vanish when the program exits. Resolution: Prior to ACUCOBOL-GT Version 6.2 the program displays from a character-based program did remain on the console after the Runtime exited, regardless of the type of display that the program did.  However in Version 6.2 a change was made to destroy all canvases when the Runtime exits.  That change was done to fix a memory leak due the canvases not being destroyed.  So in version 6.2 and later the program displays disappear when the Runtime exits, when using default display handling.The Windows Console Mode Runtime, crun32, also behaves this way.  The displays will remain on the console if all of these conditions are true:1. The

Created On:  01 November 2010 Problem: Mapping a shared drive on a Windows server either 2003 or 2008 to access a SQL server 2005, user can get a 9D,4060, which is the following SQL server error:42000 4060 - Cannot open database "db-name" requested by the login. The login failed. Resolution: The user must have the following variable added to the configuration file:  A_MSSQL_DEFAULT_CONNECTION Server-name Incident #2484619 Old KB# 32384

Created On:  10 November 2010 Problem: The performance of queries on Vision files via AcuXDBC becomes slower the more concurrent queries are executed. Resolution: There are 4 variables within the AcuXDBC config file that can be set:LOCKS_PER_FILEMAX_FILESMAX_LOCKSV_BUFFERSThese are all well-documented in the Manual AcuXDBC User’s Guide.  However, what is not well-documented is that the XDBC process will inherit the spawning process’ environment, so any efficiency tweaking that can be done with variable setting within the normal config file will be reflected within the XDBC environment.  So, remember to review all the settings in the normal config file with a view to increasing performance throughout Acu products.  These are described in detail in the Manual “ACUCOBOL-GT Appendices”, Chapter “H.2 Configuration Variables”.Tip : check the setting of V_LOCK_METHOD Old KB# 32451

Created On:  11 November 2010 Problem: Errors are produced when displaying signed fields in AcuXDBC. Resolution: The resolution for this is to amend the acuxdbc.cfg file and set the following configuration variable to:invalid_numeric_data truncate Incident #2484958 Old KB# 32460

Created On:  10 November 2010 Problem: How can we restrict a cell of a Grid to accept only Numeric data? Is there any property available to achieve this? Resolution: Refer to the AcuCobol GT User Interface Programming manual, section 5.11.2 - Grid : Special Properties. This will show you how to set the Special Property DATA-TYPE, which you can apply to columns within your grid to define what type of data entry to allow and disallow. Old KB# 32454

Created On:  29 October 2010 Problem: When using Net Express 5.1 or 6.0 in Windows 7 and moving the compiled files to a network drive, a runtime error 173 could show. Something like:Load error:file 'ADIS'error code:173, pc=0, call=1, seg=0173 Called program file not found in drive/directoryLocally all works ok, in Windows XP locally or from a network drive the same program runs normally. Resolution: Open the regisrty editor and go to the following keys and remove the " symbols.The fix for this is to make a few registry changes to handle this:-  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Micro Focus\\NetExpress\\5.1\\Dialog System\\5.1\\Environment • Remove the “ (quotes) from the PATH setting HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Micro Focus\\NetExpress\\5.1\\Unix\\Environment   • Remove the “ (quotes) from the PATH setting The above keys are on a 64bit machine. You will need to remove the “Wow6432Node” for a 32bit machine. Incident #2

Created On:  29 October 2010 Problem: Python scripts do not seem to execute. There is no smartscript-stderr.log or smartscript-stdout.log created in the EnterpriseLink\\logs directory. Resolution: This is most likely a permissions issue. The userid that IIS (Internet Information Services) is running under (normally "Network Service") needs to have read/write access to the directories under the MicroFocus\\EntepriseLink directory.  The Python compiler needs to compile the source modules and create the compiled output (.pyc files) in these directories. Old KB# 32352#Rumba#EnterpriseLink

Created On:  29 October 2010 Problem: Receiving errors such as read-only files or "General File Transfer Error... ERR -3". Resolution: These are either a permissions error (make sure you have full access to the MicroFocus\\EnterpriseLink directory and it's children) or your AntiVirus/Firewall software might be preventing you from updating these files. Old KB# 32353#Rumba#EnterpriseLink

Created On:  29 October 2010 Problem: We want to deploy a Visual COBOL application on a network server and be able to have users running workstations on the network be able to run the application without the need for the COBOL 2010 Runtime product to be installed locally on each workstation. In Net Express this could be done by setting the environment variable ASLMFNET on each workstation to point to the location of the license database file on the server computer. Resolution: For managed code .NET applications the COBOL 2010 Runtime product needs to be installed on each workstation.For unmanaged native Windows applications you can set this up as follows:1. Install your application on the desired server computer.     For this example we will say that it is installed on:    -  //ServerA/appfolder    It must be accessible by the workstations that will be running the application.2. Install the COBOL 2010 Runtime product on