Rocket® COBOL

Created On:  01 October 2010 Problem: When trying to install Net Express a message appears indicating "Not enough disk space on target drive while attempting to copy files" although there is sufficient disk space.  How can this be resolved? Resolution: Follow these steps to resolve the installation issue:1.  Use Regedit to open the Registry and open these keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SOFTWARE>Micro Focus2.  Delete the "Micro Focus" key. 3.  Close Regedit. 4.  Determine where the TEMP and TMP environment variables are pointing and delete all of the contents in this location.5.  Attempt the install again.Note: You must be an Administrator and the Net Express run-time must not be in use. Incident #2449770 Old KB# 31816

Created On:  30 March 2011 Problem: We are receiving errors when trying to install the base version of EnterpriseLink (v5.0.5) on Windows7, Windows2003 or Windows2008.  The installation may finish, but no icons are created for the EnterpriseLink tools. Resolution: There is a new version of the installer for Windows7, Windows2003 and Windows2008.  It can be found on the EnterpriseLink website at http://www.enterpriselink.com in the Administrators section under "Downloads".The file you need is el50CD2010-07-26bld6736.exe (make sure it is build #6736).Once you installed this version, you can download and install the most recent WebSync.Note:  In order to install this version, you must have a C:\\TEMP directory that exists.  Also, before installing, make sure you have IIS (Internet Information Services) installed on the local machine with the IIS 6 Management Compatiblity Tools selected. Old KB# 31859#EnterpriseLink#Rumba

Created On:  08 October 2010 Problem: Compiling the .net sample program provided in the ACUCOBOL-GT installation fails.  The compile command line is:ccbl32.exe --netdll:2.0  nettocobol.cblWhich produces the following compile output error:CreateProcess failed for C:\\WINDOWS\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v2.0.50727\\AL.EXE /target:lib /v:1.0.0.0 /embed:"nettocobol.acu",AcuNet /out:"C:\\Acucorp\\Acucbl810\\AcuGT\\bin\\nettocobol.dll" "C:\\Acucorp\\Acucbl810\\AcuGT\\bin\\nettocobol.NETModule"RC = 2Error occured storing the COBOL program into the DLL's manefestThe Windows PC involved does have the Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0 installed. Resolution: The Microsoft .NET framework does not include AL.EXE which is necessary for producing the proper DLLs for .NET to call your COBOL program.  The resolution is to install the Microsoft .NET SDK which is a free download that includes AL.EXE.  Note that if Visual Studio is installed then

Created On:  06 October 2010 Problem: In the Net Express IDE, environment variables can be set within the Project Properties window using the Application button and these environment variables will automatically be set and made available for the application during run-time.How does one accomplish a similar task when using Visual COBOL 2010? Resolution: Environment variables and run-time swicthes can be set in Visual COBOL using the app.config configuration file.Create or open a COBOL solution or project using Visual COBOL 2010.If the Solution Explorer window is not open then go to the View menu and select Solution Explorer, or press Ctrl Alt L to open it.Right click on the project name in Solution Explorer and select Add->New Item and then select Application Configuration file from the list of Managed templates.This will add the file app.config to your project.Right click on app.config in Solution Explorer and select Edit.This will bring up a mini editor where you can ad

Created On:  09 October 2010 Problem: Due to automatic Windows updates, sometimes, some of the components such as Internet Explorer, change their default settings causing that some graphical controls, as the Web Browser control, suddenly stop working as before. Resolution: Either install the latest IE version or if it is already installed, reinstall it. Incident #2438804 Old KB# 31911

Created On:  09 October 2010 Problem: When running a Thin Client app, the runtime was making log file entries during the start of communication to the client even if tracing was turned off. This would leave a small but unwanted file on the server every time a tc program was run. Resolution: This problem affects exclusively version 8.1.2 and has been fixed in version 8.1.3.  There is already an available patch for 8.1.2, however an easy workaround to avoid this behavior is to change the alias to include "-e /dev/null" for Unix or "-e nul" for Windows. Incident #2466377 Old KB# 31919

Created On:  08 October 2010 Problem: There is a need to have the program determine the time zone where it is running.  How is this done with ACUCOBOL-GT? Resolution: While AcuCOBOL-GT has no native ability to determine the timezone it is accomplished fairly easily with a call to the kernel32.dll GetTimeZoneInformation method.  The attached program demonstrates this, and how to parse the result into usable pieces.Note that if the program is running on a server via AcuConnect Thin Client it is possible to determine the Client PC's timezone with the same method.  It is a simple matter of using the @[display] notation to tell the runtime to call the dll on the client PC.  Complete information about that is found in the AcuConnect user's manual, Section 7.2.6.1 "Calling client-side DLLs." Attachments timezone.zip Old KB# 31898

Created On:  08 October 2010 Problem: The main program starts many threads specifying a handle for each.  For example: CALL THREAD "PROGNAME" HANDLE IN THREAD1-HANDLE.  The handles are used when sending messages between threads.  Some of those threads need to send messages to the main program but it doesn't have a handle.How can the main program's thread handle be determined? Resolution: To obtain the thread handle of the main program first define it in working-storage:01 MAIN-THREAD-HANDLE HANDLE OF THREAD.Then do this in the procedure division before starting any other threads:ACCEPT MAIN-THREAD-HANDLE FROM THREAD HANDLE.Then the child threads can send messages to MAIN-THREAD-HANDLE. Old KB# 31906

Created On:  10 October 2010 Problem: Issuing a query in the MSSQL Query Analyzer in the form: select * from [linkedserver]..[owner].Results in the error:Table 'owner.table' undefined,Record not foundThe openquery format works fine with no error:select * from openquery(linkedserver, 'select * from owner.table')Why doesn't the fully qualified format work? Resolution: The information in the AcuXDBC system catalog is stored in upper case.  This makes no difference with the openquery but the fully-qualified format is sensitive to this. The resolution is to use uppercase for the owner and table names:select * from [linkedserver]..[OWNER].For a specific example, using the demo database, this fails:select * from [acuxdbc813]..[public].[accounts]This works:select * from [acuxdbc813]..[PUBLIC].[ACCOUNTS] Old KB# 31905#linked-server#fully-qualified

Created On:  09 October 2010 Problem: The protected entry-field (read-only), shows a different background than version 7.x.  Why is this? Resolution: In version 8.1.0 we introduced the ECN_3699 which has the following effects:Once an AcuCOBOL program changed either the foreground or background color of an entry field, the background stopped graying out when the control was subsequently set to READONLY.This is no longer the case.  In version 8.1.2 we introduced ECN_3848. As of version 8.1, read-only entry fields were changed to conform to standard Windows behavior in that the background color is always gray regardless of the background color setting.  However there is now a configuration variable to let the customer decide which behavior desired.  The default behavior will match Windows operating system. read-only entry fields will have gray backgrounds.  To change the background color of a read-only entry field, set the runtime configurati

Created On:  07 October 2010 Problem: I use scripts on my UNIX system to parse the output of acurcl –info to monitor system usage and operation. This all worked fine in version 7.2.2. However after installing version 8.0 or newer the scripts no longer work properly returning unexpected results. Resolution: Beginning in version 8.0 the output of acurcl –info was modified to include a date field in addition to the time field to produce a timestamp output which provided more complete information. Additionally, the user and the workstation fields have been swapped. With these changes to the acurcl –info output, it is necessary to modify the scripts to obtain the desired results.Sample 7.2.2 output# ./acurcl -info Client                User                PID  Start time  Directory  Commandjoesmith-vista&nb

Created On:  08 October 2010 Problem: The application has a need to alert the user when a timeout has happened or when it otherwise needs user intervention.  Is there a way to flash the window and taskbar icon? Resolution: While there is no native way for ACUCOBOL-GT to cause a GUI window to flash, it is a simple matter of calling the flashwindow method of the Windows user32.dll. The attached zip file contains a sample program, flashingwindow.cbl, demonstrating this method. Attachments flashingwindow.zip Old KB# 31907

Created On:  10 October 2010 Problem: While a program is running if the user changes the default printer or the print orientation, the program does not recognize the default printer or orientation has been changed. Resolution: In order to be able to “refresh” the printer’s information, it is necessary to reset the printer info already in the program .Immediately after update the printer list or modify the orientation you need to reset your printer info with the following operands:       *    Reset printer info           CALL "WIN$PRINTER" USING WINPRINT-SET-JOB -1. That is the opcode WINPRINT-SET-JOB with a -1 value.After that, user can obtain again the default printer information with:           CALL "WIN$PRINTER"                USI

Created On:  06 October 2010 Problem: A converted Express mainframe display session doesn't connect to the host after upgrading to version 6.0. The following information is displayed in the session: CINIT error (Server code is 08210000). Error restart. Application name. Resolution: Express client sessions are no longer supported in Web-to-Host version 6.  The solution is to create a new Web-to-Host version 6.0 Pro client session.  Pro client sessions contain all of the functionallity of the previous Express sessions, and include addtional features to enhance user productivity. Incident #2443128 Old KB# 31850#Web-to-Host#Rumba

Created On:  05 October 2010 Problem: 1007 error is encountered when attempting to install Web-to-Host pro client. Resolution: Typically, this error message is encountered because of the following two conditions: • When attempting to install or upgrade the client computer through a standard user account. This can be resolved by logging in as an administrator.• On a client machine you are loading a pro client session in IE7 or IE 8 browser. This error is encountered if a server which is hosting Web-to-Host application is not listed under trusted sites on the client computer. This can be resolved by adding your Web-to-Host server in the trusted sites.Follow these instructions to add sites to the trusted sites zone in Internet Explorer 7 and 8.1. Click on Internet Options in the Tools menu.2. Click on the Security tab.3. Click on Trusted Sites.4. Click on the Sites button.5. Type the Web address into the textbox and click the Add button.6.&nb

Created On:  09 October 2010 Problem: I am unable to access an AcuXDBC table named with the reserved word, and there is no way to change the name of the VISION file because it is part of the main application.It always returns “ERROR: (pos: 15 '.... syntax error”. Resolution: It is possible to work with files named with reserved words defining file aliases using the following syntax:For example let’s say that the VISION file is called GROUP, which is an AcuXDBC reserved word. addfile xfdfilename[#[tablename][#filename]], where:xfdfile is GROUPtablename must be something different, like GROUP1 and  filename is also GROUP.User will use GROUP1 table name in the queries:SELECT * FROM GROUP1; Old KB# 31918

Created On:  07 October 2010 Problem: I have multiple installations of MF COBOL (i.e. multiple COBDIRs) on my machine, and I am troubleshooting a runtime license issue.  How can I tell which COBDIR my Model 1 runtime license is associated with? Resolution: 1. cd to any $COBDIR/aslmf on the system.2. Run the apptrack utility.3. Select option 1, “License List”.4. Licenses are listed in sequence by a 5-digit number in the upper-left-hand-side for each.  Directly below the sequence number is either a blank space or a path.A blank space is shown for "Developer Usage" runtime licenses, which are not associated with any particular COBDIR.A path is shown for production runtime licenses, and the path denotes the COBDIR with which that license is associated.5. Find the license of concern in the list (you will see the complete serial number, but the key itself will be truncated after the first 22 characters) and you can then see its associated COBDIR.Model 2 licens

Created On:  10 October 2010 Problem: When a program passes items to a sub-program via the LINKAGE SECTION the sub-program is directly affecting the memory location of the previous program.  If the space that has been declared in the linkage section is more in the sub-program than in the main program then there is potential for bad memory corruption in your program.  (It is allowed to pass a linkage section that is larger than the sub-program because this will not cause any memory errors.) If the program writes to these "extra" bytes they will be entered into memory that could be anywhere in the run stack causing memory corruption.  Instead the runtime displays this error message advising  that there is a size mismatch.  In general, the runtime displays the error message "Passed USING item (#1) smaller than corresponding LINKAGE item" to indicate that there is a potential problem in the program. Resolution: There is a configurat

Created On:  08 October 2010 Problem: When executing an ACUCOBOL-GT program it abends with an "Illegal Sort" error. Resolution: The "Illegal Sort" error indicates that there is a problem in initiating the SORT operation. The following circumstances will cause an "Illegal Sort" message:1. A previous SORT is still executing when the current requested SORT operation is attempted.   The ACUCOBOL-GT runtime limits one SORT at a time.2. A previous SORT terminated prior to completion, i.e. EXIT PROGRAM, or explicit GO TO statement.3. During the previous SORT, the input procedure found no records, therefore the output procedure is never executed.  Hence the SORT is still open.Troubleshooting the above conditions will usually reveal the cause and resolution. Adding a 'CANCEL SORT' prior to the SORT request can be a workaround which will prevent the error.  It has no effect if no previous SORTs have occurred.  *

Created On:  08 October 2010 Problem: Can the activator be executed from a command line, and without the GUI interface or user intervention? Resolution: The activator does have options and can be executed from the command line.  Use the following format:activator /DESTINATION= /PCODE= /PKEY= /DIALOG=NO Old KB# 31899

Created On:  09 October 2010 Problem: How do you copy and paste within grid control? Resolution: To copy:  double-click into a grid-cell (edit-mode), mark the value and hit CTL-INSERT to copy that into the clipboard. To paste:  click into the target cell and hit SHIFT-INSERT. Incident #2443193 Old KB# 31914

Created On:  23 September 2010 Problem: I am currently encountering a problem connecting a COBOL program from Net Express to an Oracle Database in AIX.  The database on AIX is configured in my Windows Oracle Net Manager with SID name (TEST1) specified. Test connections show as being successful. The database has also been added in the Oracle Enterprise Manager where I am able to browse through the tables and schemas.  However, when I attempt to run a COBOL program with environment variable ORACLE_SID=TEST1, connection to the database failed with a TNS Adapter error.SqlerrmcORA-12560: TNS:protocol adapter errorSqlcode-0000012560I also have a local Oracle Database installed on Windows with a SID name of TEST2.  If I change the ORACLE_SID=TEST2, connection to the database from my COBOL program works without problem. Resolution: Oracle classify this as a 'generic protocol adapter error'.  This usually indicates that the Oracle client does not know wha

Created On:  23 September 2010 Problem: The AcuConnect User's Guide version 8.1, Section 7.2.1 Copying Files Between the Client and Server discusses access to files on the display host that may be accomplished via a set of directory specifiers.  It provides the following code sample that does not compile.C$COPY "@[DISPLAY]:"/filename Resolution: The placement of the second double quote caused the compile error to occur. The correct syntax should be:C$COPY "@[DISPLAY]:/filename"When the corrected syntax is used in a program it may look like the following.call "C$COPY" using "My_Image.bmp"            "@[DISPLAY]:\\My_Image.bmp" Incident #2468981 Old KB# 31771

Created On:  21 September 2010 Problem: The application is deployed with a copy of the ACUCOBOL-GT bin directory included, or the Runtime was installed on a server and the client PCs map a drive to the bin directory to execute it. This can result in an error when the client PC is missing the Microsoft C Redistributables. With version 8.1.2.1,  adding the two assemblies, Microsoft.VC80.CRT and Microsoft.VC80.MFC enabled the Runtime to execute in this fashion without error. However those same assemblies do not work with newly released Version 8.1.3 and 8.1.3.1. Resolution: Attached is an archive, 813-redist-32.zip, containing the two assemblies for use with Version 8.1.3 and 8.1.3.1. Download the archive and extract to the 8.1.3 or 8.1.3.1 bin directory (or wherever the bin directory contents were copied). After extracting, that target directory will contain two sub directories, Microsoft.VC80.CRT and Microsoft.VC80.MFC.Alternately, the archive may be obtained from the

Created On:  21 September 2010 Problem: When creating a configuration file for use with Net Express and Database Connectors for DB2 what should the option A_DB2_DATASOURCE be set to? Resolution: When creating a configuration file for use with the Database Connectors for DB2 product the A_DB2_DATASOURCE option needs to be set to the name of an existing ODBC DSN for the IBM DB2 ODBC driver.  If you configure the ODBC driver during DB2 setup then this should automatically create an entry called DB2SAMPLE that points to the Sample database that is provided as part of the DB2 install.You can use this entry for running the Database Connectors demo programs or you can create a new DSN for your own database use.  This can be done using the Windows ODBC Manager which can be started from Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC).  The name used as the DSN Name needs to be specified in the configuration file as follows:A_DB2_DATASOURCE     D