Rocket® COBOL

Created On:  12 December 2010 Problem: Is it possible to remove a table from the catalog of AcuXDBC? Resolution: The best way to remove an existing table from the system catalog of AcuXDBC is using the tool "asql" located in the BIN directory of the AcuXDBC installation. This tool is a batch file that can have a .bat or a .sh extension, depending on the Operating System.To start the tool, just use this command line:C:\\>asqlSQL (/? for help) ==>A new prompt is shown. From here, it is possible to drop the table simply using this syntax:SQL (/? for help) ==> drop table mytable;If there are doubts about the name of the table, or about the owner of the table, just run this query:SQL (/? for help) ==> select t_owner, t_name from genesis_tables where t_name='MYTABLE'; T_OWNER                        T_NAME -----------------

Created On:  21 December 2010 Problem: What version of the Liant products are supported on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2? Resolution: Only Liant version 12.05 and above products are compatible and supported on Windows 7.  No Liant products older than version 12.05 will work properly, or, be supported on Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2. Please contact your Micro Focus Maintenance Sales Account Manager for assistance with upgrading to the latest version of RM/COBOL. Incident #2493463 Old KB# 32734

Created On:  21 December 2010 Problem: XML Extensions can be configured to not export empty occurrences when the XML EXPORT function is called.  Unfortunately, this option might cause non-empty occurrences to be suppressed in the output document. Resolution: A patch for the XML Extensions Runtime Library is available in the Product Updates page on the Micro Focus web site (http://www.microfocus.com).  This patch addresses the XML EXPORT issue with OCCURs. Incident #2453539 Old KB# 32736#XMLExportOCCUROCCURs

Created On:  15 December 2010 Problem: When trying to run the MFSORT utility from within a .bat file, an error occurs when attempting to redirect the output of MFSORT to a filename using command line redirection if the filename is specified as an environment variable.The following error will be written to the file an errorlevel will be set to 8.     "Unable to write to SYSOUT. Switching to console output instead"Example:@ECHO OFF SET OUTFILE=outfile.datECHO [�TE% %TIME%] Step MFSORT started. >> %OUTFILE%MFSORT USE DATA.DAT ORG LS RECORD (F,7) GIVE DATA.DAT SORT FIELDS (1,7,ch,a) >> %OUTFILE%ECHO [�TE% %TIME%] Step MFSORT finished.  Error Level = %ERRORLEVEL% >> %OUTFILE%ECHO Error Level = %ERRORLEVEL% Resolution: This can be remedied by setting the COBSW environment variable to S5 in the .bat file.Example:@ECHO OFFSET COBSW= S5SET OUTFILE=outfile.datECHO [�TE% %TIME%] Step MFSORT started. >> %OUTFILE%MFSORT USE DAT

Created On:  16 December 2010 Problem: An ASP.NET web application builds succesfully in Visual Studio but when trying to run or debug the application strange compiler error messages occur which point to source code in the App_Code subfolder or in temporary files. Resolution: The problem you are seeing is because you have an App_Code folder, which gets compiled at run-time and is only expected to be part of a Web Site, not a Web Application which is precompiled. What is happening is that the contents of the project, including the classes in App_Code, get built to an assembly but at run-time the ASP.NET server is compiling the contents of App_Code and specifying references to all of the project references plus the project output. That means that the compiler is attempting to compile classes with a reference to compiled versions of themselves and not surprisingly it is getting rather confused hence the strange error messages.If you rename your App_Code folder to a different na

Created On:  16 December 2010 Problem: Licensing for Server Express Remote Development Option (RDO) is managed by the remote server and this includes issuing the Windows client license. When you start the Eclipse IDE for the first time on your client machine you will be prompted to enter the details of the license server.  If you make a mistake in entering the license server details, communication between the client machine and the license server machine will fail, thus returning the error message:ServerExpressRDO: Error: Feature "ServerExpressRDO" is not licensed to run on this server Resolution: When you start up the Eclipse IDE on the client machine, it only prompts for the license host the first time.  In so doing it creates a file called licensehost.txt which is stored somewhere on the client machine.  Having incorrectly entered the license server details, you will need to locate this file and then delete it.  In so doing, the ne

Created On:  16 December 2010 Problem: How do you use COBOL syntax on an ASP.NET Web page to call Eval method for binding? Resolution: The .NET Framework Eval method is used on a web page to dynamically assign a value to an object in COBOL.For example, if you wanted to bind the value of the ProductID object to the text property of a grid column you could use the following:...<ItemTemplate>  <asp:Label ID="ProductID" runat="server" Text='<%# super::"Eval"("ProductID") %>'></asp:Label></ItemTemplate>' runat="server">If you are using this type of code on a web page in an ASP.NET Web application then you will also have to update your .aspx to include Language="COBOL" on the page.We don't specify the Language property by default so that aspx pages don't generate a reference to our CodeDom, so that it is not required on a deployment machine unless absolu

Created On:  10 December 2010 Problem: What do you do when you need to create documentation for the user-defined classes and methods declared in your .NET COBOL applications? Resolution: It is a good practice to provide descriptions of the classes and methods declared in your managed COBOL applications files by adding XML documentation comments in the source files. For example, the descriptions are used by the Visual Studio IntelliSense Quick Info feature that shows tool-tips about the classes and methods you can use. You can configure your project to generate an XML file with the comments at build time. From this file you can create documentation in CHM, Help 2 or MS Help Viewer format using a third party utility such as Sandcastle. To add XML documentation comments do the following: 1. Open your solution in Visual Studio. 2. Open a source file which is part of a managed COBOL project. 3. Position the cursor on a line preceding a method or a class declaration. 4. Type

Created On:  10 December 2010 Problem: Is it possible to obtain the Decimal Code of any ASCII character? Resolution: This simple COBOL program shows how to do it.       identification division.       program-id. ASCII-TO-DEC.       remarks.              environment division.       special-names.           decimal-point is comma.       input-output section.       file-control.       data division.       file section.       working-storage section.        01 ASCII-VALUE                 &nbs

Created On:  21 December 2010 Problem: We have installed the 32-bit Relativity Data Client, Data Server, or, Data Manager on a 64-bit Windows machine.  After the install, the Data Client, Data Server, or, Data Manager are unavailable in the ODBC Administrator located in the Windows Control Panel. Resolution: The 32-bit Relativity Data Client, Data Server, and, Data Manager are 32-bit ODBC drivers.  Therefore, you will not find them listed in the 64-bit ODBC Administrator.  The 64-bit ODBC Administrator can be found in the Administrative Tools area of the Windows Control Panel.In order to create 32-bit data sources, you must, instead, run the 32-bit version of the Windows ODBC Data Source Administrator.  You will find it here:   C:\\Windows\\SysWoW64\\odbcad32.exe #RelativityODBC

Created On:  09 December 2010 Problem: How do you call a SQL stored procedure/function that returns a value to the program? Resolution: The result parameter can be specified in the SQL call as follows:   EXEC SQL      :myResult = CALL myFunction(namedParam=:paramValue)   END-EXECOr you can specify an OUT parameter which will contain the value set in the stored procedure.   EXEC SQL      CALL getDept(:empName IN, :deptName OUT)   END-EXEC Incident #2491320 Old KB# 32652#VisualCOBOL#netexpress#Enterprise#COBOL

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:  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:  06 December 2010 Problem: What are the pre requisites when somebody wants to rebuild a new ACUCOBOL-GT Runtime on a UNIX/Linux platform with the integration with C-ISAM (on SOLARIS)? Resolution: To relink the runtime, use each platforms’ native ANSI C compiler. For relinking the runtime the GCC compiler is only supported on Linux platforms. Run a standard make runcbl in the ACUCOBOL-GT lib directory just to check if it’s working before running the integration with C-ISAM or other tools. If it’s not working, the two questions to ask are:Do you have a C compiler on your platform ? Which C compiler are you using ? For the special integration with C-ISAM: a) Ask if the IBM libisam.a file is a 32 or 64 bit version because if it’s a 32 bit version, you have to link it with ACUCOBOL-GT 32 bits and if it’s a 64 bit version, you have to link it with ACUCOBOL-GT 64 bits. b) Modify the filetbl.c file in the lib directory#define USE_CISAM 0 à #define USE_CIS

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:  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:  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: 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: 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:  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:  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: 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: 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:  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:  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