Rocket® COBOL

This article provides step-by-step instructions for setting up AcuXDBC Server on a UNIX operating system. Problem: This article clarifies the documentation with specific instructions for setup, testing, and implementation of AcuXDBC Server on UNIX systems with Windows clients. Resolution: AcuXDBC/AcuXDBCS Installation on UNIX The installation should look like this — ensure that all of these files are in the /bin directory (dates and permissions vary): $ ls -latotal 35664drwxr-xr-x 2 techsup staff 4096 May 14 06:20 .drwxr-xr-x 7 techsup staff 256 May 13 11:15 ..-rwxr-xr-x 1 techsup staff 286332 May 13 10:32 activator-rwxr-xr-x 1 techsup staff 1078462 May 13 10:32 acurcl-rwxr-xr-x 1 techsup staff 843430 May 13 10:32 acuserve-rwxr-xr-x 1 techsup staff 416882 May 13 10:32 acushare-rwxr-xr-x 1 techsup staff 667958 May 13 10:32 acusort-rwxr-xr-x 1 techsup staff 671442 May 13 10:32 acusql-r

This article explains how to send a fax programmatically from a COBOL source program. Problem: Is it possible to send a fax directly from a COBOL program? Resolution: Yes. The attachment to this article includes a sample that explains how to feed a Windows Fax service with an addressee's information and fax number directly from a COBOL program. The sample then demonstrates sending the document to the fax queue. Requirements: Minimum Operating Systems are Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Windows Fax service can be installed from the “Windows Components Wizard” interface panel (Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs / Add Remove Windows Components / Fax Services) This sample has been tested successfully with ACUCOBOL-GT runtimes 7.2.2 and 8.1.0 without any particular compiler options or runtime switches. Incident Number: 2283068 Attachments fax-from-cobol.zip Old KB# 14449

This article explains that a COBOL entry point cannot be the same as a C API. Problem: When writing a COBOL program called main and running it, the 114 runtime error was returned. Why is this? Resolution: If you write a COBOL program called main and try running it, you will get the message 114 Attempt to access item beyond bounds of memory (Signal 11). If you specify the suffix, for example cobrun main.intit will work, however if you just type cobrun main having written nothing, you will also get the error. You cannot have a COBOL entry point the same as a C API. Therefore, main, exit, printf, etc., cannot be used. Otherwise the operating system will get confused and return unexpected results such as a 114 or 115 error. Old KB# 14483

This article describes how to use the WHEN directive to address this issue. Problem: A FILE SECTION field that is redefined by another field that is specified as a key, or part of a key, is not being added as a column in database tables. As an example, in the following FD the t_cod_tra and t_cgc_tra fields do not get created as table columns: fd trans_fil. 01 reg_tra. 05 t_cod-tra pic 9(03). 05 xt_cod_tra redefines t_cod_tra pic x(03). 05 t_nom_tra pic x(40). 05 t_end_tra pic x(40). 05 t_bai_tra pic x(25). 05 t_cep_tra pic 9(08). 05 t_mun_tra pic x(25). 05 t_uf_tra pic x(02). 05 t_tel_tra pic x(11). 05 t_col_tra pic x(11). 05 t_con_tra pic x(20). 05 t_mai_tra pic x(50). 05 t_cgc_tra

This article describes a potential solution for the error ORA-01000. Problem: A COBOL program that performs numerous file operations (OPEN, READ, WRITE, DELETE, REWRITE, CLOSE, and so on) has the potential to create a large number of cursors if no COBOL COMMIT exists in the program code. If left unmanaged, it is possible to run out of cursors and receive an Oracle error "ORA-01000: maximum open cursors exceeded" as shown in the run-time trace below. 23:35:50.384 0 MF.RTS 51 1 : "ERROR CODE = [1000]"23:35:50.384 0 MF.RTS 51 1 : "ORA-01000: maximum open cursors exceeded" Resolution: There are two ACUFH configuration variables that may be helpful in managing cursors counts. Note: Both of these variables may require some experimentation and discussion with your Database Administrator to determine what works best for your application and system. The first variable is A_ORA_MAX_FILE_CURSORS, which by default is set to “0

This article explains the commands used to shut down a Tuxedo server. Problem: The command tmshutdown is used to stop a Tuxedo server. If the Tuxedo server is made with Micro Focus COBOL services, it is necessary to call the function cobtidy() to empty buffers, to close files, to free any data areas allocated by the COBOL system. The command tmshutdown -i displays the following execution error: file 'mfini'error code: 119, pc=0, call=1, seg=0119 Name is not unique (binding symbol 'mfini') Is it necessary to call the function atexit();? Resolution: In the current directory that is used to create the Tuxedo server, it is necessary to create two files mainexit.h and microfocus.c that are as follows: mainexit.h int i ; char c[60]; int atexit(void (*function)(void)); void microfocus(); i = atexit(microfocus); microfocus.c void microfocus(void) { cobexit(); } Add to the command line of the command buildserver -f

Compiling using the --netdll flag on Windows 7 generates a CreateProcess failed error. Problem: Take a sample program (such as calc3.cbl), use the .Net interoperability compiler option --netdll. Compile with the following options:-o .\\object\\@.acu -x --netdll:2.0 The following error message is returned: CreateProcess failed for C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v2.0.50727\\AL.EXE \\target:lib \\v:1.0.0.0 \\embed:".\\object\\ACU.acu",AcuNet \\out:".\\object\\ACU.dll" ".\\object\\ACU.NETModule" ACU.acu - Completed: 0 Error(s), 0 Warning(s). This works on XP and Vista machines. Resolution: al.exe is part of the Microsoft .Net framework SDK. al.exe is not included with the Windows 7 OS, you must download and install the .Net framework SDK. Old KB# 14511

This article provides an example of intrinsic functions NATIONAL-OF and DISPLAY-OF in a COBOL unstring statement. Problem: How are the intrinsic functions NATIONAL-OF and DISPLAY-OF used in a COBOL unstring statement? Resolution: See the COBOL code pasted below: $SET NSYMBOL(NATIONAL)working-storage section. 01 v1 pic X(10). 01 v2 pic X(10). 01 v1v2 pic X(20). 01 v1N pic N(10). 01 v2N pic N(10). 01 v1v2N pic N(20). procedure division. move "v1 v2" to v1v2 initialize v1 v2 unstring v1v2 delimited by space into v1 v2 move "v1N v2N" to v1v2N initialize v1N v2N unstring v1v2N delimited by space into v1N v2N move "v1 v2" to v1v2 initialize v1N v2N unstring FUNCTION NATIONAL-OF(v1v2) delimited by space into v1N v2N move "v1N v2N" to v1v2N initialize v1 v2 unstring FUNCTION DISPLAY-OF(v1v2N) delimited by space into v1 v2 move "v1N v2N" to v1v2N initialize v1 v2 unstring FUNCTION DI

This article explains how to use the OnWebLog to write information to a file as a script runs. Problem: When scripting in OnWeb at times it may be helpful to write information out to a file as the script runs. For example, if a variable from a previous step is not available to your script, you may wish to capture the value of the variable as the script runs. How is the OnWebLog() method used? Resolution: The syntax of the OnWebLog method is: OnWebLog ("string",["filename"], [iomode]) string Required. The string that you want to record in the log file. filename Optional. The name of the log file. iomode Optional. Either "a" (append) or "w" (replace). Default mode is “a” The default filename is OnWebJS.log and it is located under the bin directory in the OnWeb Server installation (For example: /QOpenSys/usr/OnWeb/bin/ or C:\\Program Files\\NetManage\\OnWeb Server\\bin\\). Date: Name: Description of change: Date: Name: Description of change: Old KB# 14418#Ru

This article identifies different behaviors of "call system" between UNIX environments. Problem: The user program makes a call to system, for example: call "system" using "ls -la" On one system this works as expected, whereas on another it is necessary to add x"00" to the end of the command-line. For example: 01 WORK-COMMAND. 03 COMMAND PIC X(050) VALUE "ls -la" . 03 FILLER PIX X(002) VALUE X" 00" . procedure division.CALL "SYSTEM" USING WORK-COMMAND. Why is this? Resolution: This behavior depends on the case used in the CALL statement. call "system" (all lower-case) calls the OS system utility. This is platform specific, and may give unexpected terminal display results. When you are using the MF function CALL "SYSTEM" (upper-case) you must use x"00" to terminate the command. Incident Number:

This article describes how to retrieve UNIX time values and translate them to COBOL style values using C language functions. Problem: UNIX dates and time are frequently stored as a single integer containing the number of seconds since January 1, 1970. It is a convenient way for C language functions to store date and time stamps. The COBOL system uses a different scheme to keep track of date and time and there are times when a bit of translation from one representation to another is required. What special handling is required to transform this time to a useful and readable format? Resolution: UNIX time values can be retrieved and translated to COBOL style values by using C language functions which call the ctime() family of functions to manipulate the date and time to and from UNIX time formats. The attached example program uses this method to get the current date and time in UNIX Time form and then translate it to a human readable format. Extract the source fi

This article explains how you use the Infomgr utility to view, print, and execute the demonstration programs. Problem: How do you use the Infomgr utility to view, print, and execute the demonstration programs? Resolution: Please see the attached step-by-step document that uses the Standard System Test using tictac.cbl. Old KB# 14371

This article addresses what to do when an XFD Directive does not check to ensure the Date mask matches the Picture clause. Problem: The Compiler $set createxfd (xfd-directory=C:\\...) Directive does not check to ensure that the Date mask matches the COBOL Picture clause. This results in parse errors with MFXDBC when loading the resultant XFD into the System Catalog. For example, the following will compile and build the XFD without an error reported. This generates a parse error with MFXDBUTIL.bat.: $xfd date=yyyymmdd 03 BMRT-PAYEE-DOB PIC 9(9) COMP. Resolution: In order to resolve this, either modify the Date directive or the COBOL Picture clause so that they match, as follows: $xfd date=yyyyymmdd 03 BMRT-PAYEE-DOB PIC 9(9) COMP. or $xfd date=yyyymmdd 03 BMRT-PAYEE-DOB PIC 9(8) COMP. Incident Number: 2278907 Date: 18 May 2009 Name: Angela Clark Description of change: Date: Name: Description of change: Old

This article addresses a known issue regarding the inability to use DB2 option REOPT with Net Express for binding parameters. Problem: The REOPT DB2 directive is currently not supported and the REOPT_VARS directive, which is an older form of the directive, is supported but not working properly. Is there a fix for this? Resolution: The HotFix level 3 for Net Express version 5.1 WrapPack (WebSync) 03 is available which supports the REOPT DB2 directive for binding parameters. Please contact Micro Focus SupportLine if this HotFix is required. Incident Number: 2280263 Old KB# 14374

This article explains how a Net Express request key is generated to activate the product. Problem: How is a  Net Express request key generated in order to activate the product? Resolution: From the Windows Start menu, click Programs > Net Express > Configuration > License Management System. The License Management System Configuration window should appear. Check your product and its components. Click Generate full license. Using the generated license key, go to the Licensing Solution web pages at http://supportline.microfocus.com/licensing/LicensingHome.aspto generate your own product activation key. Use the response key generated from the License Solution web pages to activate the product. Old KB# 14433#COBOL#Licensing#netexpress

This article explains what you can do if you receive this error during compilation. Problem: This error may occur during compilation: “cobchecker64: fatal: relocation error symbol check: referenced symbol not found”. The text of the error message will resemble the following: ld.so.1: cobchecker64: fatal: relocation error: file /opt/cobolse5wp4_64/bin/cobchecker64: symbol check: referenced symbol not found. This is caused by a mistake in the library path environment variable. Resolution: On AIX, the name of the library path environment variable is LIBPATH. On 32-bit HP/UX, it is SHLIB_PATH, and on all other UNIX and Linux platforms, it is LD_LIBRARY_PATH. The environment variable is supposed to contain a colon-delimited list of directory locations where the system linker should look for libraries. When using Server Express, this must include $COBDIR/lib (where $COBDIR is an environment variable pointing to the install location of Serve

This article explains why a 211 error occurs when trying to run a program that was ported from another server. Problem: When I was trying to run a program that was ported from another server, a 211 error occurs. Specifically, the message received was a load error 211 pc=0, call=1, seg=20 211 program not executable by runtime system. Why is this happening? Resolution: The reason this error is occurring is because the program is 64 bit and was ported over from another system to one whose Server Express product and/or hardware is 32 bit only. This problem can occur on AIX systems with Server Express prior to version 4.0SP2. The 32 and 64 bit versions for AIX were separate products until version 4.0SP2 was released. If a program is compiled with the 64 bit product on an AIX system and run with COBDIR, PATH, and LIBPATH set for the 32 bit product, error 211 will occur. The same is true for 64 bit code ported to any AIX 4.3.3 system. That version of AIX is 32 bit only. A few

When a program is selected in the Browse tool, the .idy file of the program is locked. Problem: When a program is selected in the Browse tool, the .idy file of the program is locked. Therefore, the .idy file cannot be deleted or moved. Resolution: This problem is present in all versions before Net Express 5.1, and has been resolved in Net Express 5.1. Incident Number: 2125448 Old KB# 14382

This article describes what to do if your bitmap buttons show poorly when disabling them. Problem: You have a program with bitmap buttons that display as expected, but they display poorly when disabling them. Resolution: When you disable a button, Windows will turn most of the colored area of the bitmap gray. A clearly defined button with clear cut lines and colors will turn into gray nicely. However, if you have lots of loose points that define colors and depth you risk having a very big gray area without form. In this case, clean the bitmap and define a clear form with a straight outside color. Additionally, you can read and apply the principles found in the ACUCOBOL-GT User Interface Programming manual, chapter 3, section 3.7.1 Drawing the Image. Incident Number: 2263605 Old KB# 14425

This article describes how to decode RETURN-CODE after calling a CBL_ file handling library routine. Problem: When the RETURN-CODE is NON-ZERO after calling a CBL_ file library routine how can it be decoded in order to provide information about the cause of the failure? Resolution: The return code is X'0000' if it has been successful. If it has not been successful, the return code is 9<byte> where byte is PIC 9(4) COMP. For example, if the file status is 9/188 (file name too large), the return code will be X'39BC', where "39" is the ASCII character "9" and "BC" is decimal 188. If the RETURN-CODE special register is inspected or displayed in decimal, the value will be 14780 (X'39BC' converted literally to decimal). The easiest way to decode the RETURN-CODE is to move it to a data item which describes FILE STATUS. 01 file-status pic xx comp-x. 01 redefines file-status. 03 fs-byte-1 pic x. 03 fs-

This article addresses what to do if you receive a "Failed to load component vsxrte" message when applying the latest WrapPack of Net Express 4.0. Problem: During the install of the latest WrapPack of Net Express 4.0 (ALL08N40.EXE), the IDE FixPack is failing with the following error messages: Failed to load component vsxrte Invalid access to memory location [Abort] [Retry] [Ignore] The above is followed by the message: Microsoft Visual C Runtime Library Runtime Error! Program: This application has requested the Runtime to terminate in an unusual way. Please contact the application's support team for more information.[OK] From this point, the WrapPack resumes the install with the rest of the FixPacks. At the end, it reports that the following FixPacks were not installed: RTS10N40.EXE, XFH10N40.EXE, and CMP10N40.EXE. Obviously, IDE11N40.EXE was not installed either. Resolution: 1. Stop the Micro Focus Directory Server service by going to Control Panel, Administrator

This article describes how to overcome the following error produced by the rebuild command: “***Error during sort operation - status 9-037”. Problem: While rebuilding data files with the ‘rebuild’ command, the following error appears: “***Error during sort operation - status 9-037”. What is it and how can it be resolved? Resolution: File status 9-037 indicates a permission problem. It means rebuild does not have permission to create a particular file. Check that the user has write permissions on the output file specified on the "rebuild" command. The rebuild command also creates temporary work files while it runs. By default it tries to create these temporary files in the current directory, so the user must have write permissions in the current directory. If the TMPDIR environment variable is set, rebuild will create its temporary files there, so the user must have write permissions there. In one historical case, an en

This article explains what to do if the message No license AS GLOBAL occurs. Problem: After a new installation or upgrade of Server Express, we are unable to run compiled programs and receive the following No license AS GLOBAL error message. Why is this happening? /var/mfaslmf > cat USERLOG Mon Jan 28 06:40:41 PST 2008: No license AS GLOBAL Resolution: This error occurs because there are no valid Developer Usage licenses in a Server Express product. Either the licenses don't exist or they are expired. There may be a number of Application Server or Server CPU licenses installed. The most common cause for this is installing the Server Express product instead of Server for COBOL. If no compiling will be done on this machine, remove the entire $COBDIR directory and install the correct product. Also remove any /etc/mflmrcscript files. Make sure $COBDIR points to a Server for COBOL product directory. If Server Express is also to be used on t

This article explains what to do when a 013-R illegal intermediate code (at 0X101 in seg 0) occurs during a rebuild of an object oriented Cobol program in Net Express 3.1. Problem: When rebuilding an object oriented Cobol program in Net Express 3.1 the project failed with a “Rebuild complete with errors” message, and then displayed the following message code: 013-R Illegal intermediate code (at 0X101 in seg 0). Resolution: This can be resolved by using a Net Express 3.1 FixPack. Go to www.microfocus.com Click on Support Click on SupportLine Home Login Click on Product Updates on the left panel Scan to bottom of screen and click on Product Archives Scan down the screen to Net Express 3.1 Service Pack 1 Install the FixPacks: ide15n31.exe and cmp16n31.exe Incident Number: 2280262 Old KB# 14393

The maximum number of tabs/sessions allowed in RUMBA Notebook. Problem: What is the maximum number of RUMBA printer sessions allowed in RUMBA Notebook? Resolution: The RUMBA Notebook is a program that allows users to run a number of applications at the same time. These applications may include different components of the same version of RUMBA software and Windows applications such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word. Each application or RUMBA window is run in a separate tab of the Notebook. There is no hard coded limit on the number of tabs that can be opened in the notebook session. It depends on the size of the memory of the workstation that RUMBA notebook is running on. Incident Number: 2279305 Old KB# 14430#Rumba