Rocket® COBOL

Problem: If you would like the exact attribute/colour combinations to be saved and restored using cbl_read_scr_chattrs and cbl_write_chattrs Resolution: You need to either: 1. Set-up the colours in the current palette.  A simple way of doing     this (and achieving consistent results on Windows and Unix     platforms) is to add the following call to the start of the program:         CALL "CBL_SCR_SET_PC_ATTRIBUTES" 2. Use the alternative set of calls, CBL_SCR_SAVE and CBL_SCR_RESTORE,     which were designed to overcome all the issues described above.     These are documented in the Creating UIs manual. Old KB# 7180

Problem: NFSFILELOCK causes the file handler to apply a lock in such a way that the application will gain exclusive access to a file against other applications.  It is not a good alternative to fileshare, since it provides no locking against applications not using NFSFILELOCK. Resolution: The functionality is available in all genesis products i.e. SX, NX and MFE. Old KB# 7169#COBOL#netexpress#RMCOBOL#AcuCobol#ServerExpress

Problem: Because changes to your ADIS configuration effect your whole environment how can you have more than one ADIS configuration on the same machine? Resolution: ADISCTRL is the name of the disk file that holds the ADIS configuration and this can be moved from one $COBDIR directory to another.   If you need two different configurations you can have two different ADISCTRL files in two different $COBDIR directories on the same machine and change the value of $COBDIR when you want to change between the two configurations. Old KB# 7189

Problem: Undefined Symbols messages are telling you that your code contains references to entry points which the generator is not able to resolve at link time. As the generator will create direct references to these entry points they need to be resolved at link time. Resolution: The options are: 1. Link in the code which contains the missing entry points into the executable. 2. Tell cob that the entry points will be dynamically loaded at run-time by adding: "-d entrypointname" option to the cob line. 3. Let cob work out they need to be dynamically loaded at run-time by adding "-U" to the cob line. Old KB# 7198

Problem: During compilation is there a way to route .gnt output files to a specific location? The default is to write the file in the current directory. Resolution: Use the -Ngnt flag then specify the file location for the output file. cob -u -Ngnt="/tmp/testxx/tictac.gnt" tictac.cbl This example causes the tictac.gnt file to be written to the /tmp/testxx directory. Old KB# 7186

Problem: error 9/253 chk.gnt not found trying to compile through sde Resolution: Change the PATH to $COBDIR/bin:$PATH Old KB# 7185

Problem: Is c-isam a specific or generic file type? Resolution: Release: 2.0   C-isam is a specific proprietary file organization from Informix. Micro Focus products interface with this file type in its elementary version. Old KB# 7155

Problem: How to specify SIGN=EBCDIC in cobopt Resolution: insert line containing: -C sign=ebcdic in the cobopt file using text editor of your choice Old KB# 7159

Problem: When a COBOL application in INT or GNT is executed in a shell from a Visual Basic program, it does not usually get the focus by simply doing the following:      Shell "run MyPgm.gnt" Resolution: Here is the Shell function syntax: processID=Shell(pathname[, windowstyle]) In the scenario involved to run INT or GNT, use vbNormalFocus for windowstyle.     Shell "run adsamp.gnt", vbNormalFocus Old KB# 7153

Problem: Copy members and called subroutines not found after porting source of working Windows Cobol program to Unix. Resolution: Unix treats case as significant in file names.  Use FOLDCOPYNAME and FOLDCALLNAME directives to assist resolution. Old KB# 7157

Problem: How to specify a different ADISCTRL file Resolution: User has two custom  ADISCTRL files with different default configurations. The dd_ADISCTRL  environment variable can be used to point to the appropriate ADISCTRL file Old KB# 7174

Problem: In Server Express, enter sde, for development environment. Press F3=compile, compile options are not displayed Resolution: If function keys do not appear to work as expected, enter the meta character / before the number of the function key. For example F3 would be /3 and the compile options would be displayed properly. From within sde enter /m for Keyboard Mapping Help for current mapped key assignments. Old KB# 7188

Problem: Debugging C language modules called by COBOL Resolution: Compile the C modules for DEBUG ie using the C compiler specifiy -g then link the .o's with the COBOL - now when starting the application start it through the C language debugger ie dbx applicationname then set breakpoints in the C functions that need debugging Old KB# 7166

Problem: Occurs when "cob" or "cobrun" command is issued to Server Express on a machine which has or had Object Cobol Developer Suite installed. Resolution: There are "cob" and/or "cobrun" triggers from an older version of a Micro Focus  product in a directory which is on PATH ahead of the directory where the current triggers were installed.  Run command "which cob" and "which cobrun" to find and remove unnecessary triggers. Attachments: 10897223.gif Old KB# 7154

Problem: The following demo shows the use of 'initialize' on a group field.  It returns a value of 'wwxxyy' whilst you may have expected a return of spaces.        working-storage section.        01 aa.            03 bb.               05 filler       pic xx occurs 10.            03 cc              pic x(10) value "wwxxyy".        procedure division.            move "ppqqrrss" to bb            initialize aa    &nbs

Problem: Call x'91' function '69' HP Server Express implementation error, l-attributes Resolution: Not all functions of the  X'91' call are supported on UNIX. Many of the functions available under x'91' on DOS/Windows are not appropriate for UNIX systems This information is from  the Server Express File Handling manual: The only functions supported under Server Express are: x"91" function 46 Enables null insertion x"91" function 47 Disables null insertion x"91" function 48 Enables tab insertion x"91" function 49 Disables tab insertion x"91" function 52 Specifies use of two-byte record terminators x"91" function 53 Specifies use of one-byte record terminators Old KB# 7175

Problem: Why must a person be logged in as root in order to install Server Express? Resolution: When the user is prompted where to install the Server Express product (and could answer any arbitrary directory), the install script must have the power (permissions) to create that directory anywhere on the machine.  The same idea applies to the creation/installation of the "drivers". The install script must be able to create new (or modify existing) license systems, for both development and Application Server licenses.  The license systems must be owned and administered by root, because they are critical (common users must not have permission to disturb them). The install script must be able to modify the system file /etc/inittab, and to create a file in the system directory /etc,  in order to set up the "auto-start at boot time" feature of the License Manager. The files in $COBDIR (the COBOL system files) are

Problem: How to setup environment variable to point to location of file from within a program. Resolution: Search in the  net express 4.0 help  for EMBEDDED ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES and  will find the following : Embedded Environment Variables You can include an environment variable in the name of a file you want to open. It should have been previously given a value using the operating system SET command. The file specification is of the form: $env-name\\filename.ext Example $test\\app.dat where you have issued the command: set test=c:\\appdir;d:\\appdir\\appsub; env-name will only be recognized as an environment variable if it is enclosed within dollar ($) and backslash (\\) characters; thus if you simply specify an environment variable by itself it will not be expanded. The environment variable env-name can contain a list of one or more paths, separated by a semicolon (;). The open mode of the file determines the pa

Problem: The Animator is considered to be a COBOL development system utilities.  The solution to this problem is to set COBDATA beginning with a colon. Resolution: The compiler and animator themselves are COBOL programs, and they need to open their own files just as any COBOL program would need to open files, but setting COBDATA interferes with this.   The documentation, in Appendix A of the User's Guide, indicates:         Setting COBDATA affects the compiler and other utilities.  During         compilation, for example, program source is regarded as a data file by the         compiler.  If you intend to use any COBOL development system utilities, we         recommend that the COBDATA value starts with a colon (:). Old KB# 7165

Problem: What is the minimum hardware specification for our UNIX products? Resolution: The minimum required disk space to install the COBOL product is approximately Object COBOL: Development System: 40Mb Application Server: 20Mb Server Express: Development System: 50Mb without ODBC, 80Mb-100Mb with ODBC drivers Application Server: 40Mb There is no required minimum for physical memory, any system capable of running the UNIX operating system provides the minimum required memory for the COBOL product to execute. The minimum required memory for user applications really depends on the size of those applications and how they are used. It takes more memory to edit a 20,000 line program than it does to edit a 1,000 line program, for example. Applications that use INT and GNT code will take more memory than those using callable shared objects or executables because INT and GNT code is not shared between users. Large FD's and working-storage tables will als

Problem: Net Express Release 4.0: How to get more information about interfaces writing a COM client? Resolution: The Type Library Assistant in Net Express can be used to get more information. The Type Library for a COM object defines information that can be useful when writing a COM client. A COBOL copyfile can be generated for any Type Library by using the Type Library Assistant. Click Type Library Assistant on the Net Express Tools menu followed by all registered Type Libraries. According to the Net Express doc files in Distributed Computing Part 4: COM,COBOL and .NET Chapter 16: Creating COM clients: Depending on the information in the Type Library, the COBOL copyfile includes the following: COBOL type definitions for any data types defined by the Type Library For each automation interface defined by the library: Level-78 data items containing the IID (interface IDs) of any interfaces defined by the type library A comment showing the i

Problem: Example of Status Codes returned by byte-streams routines: 14605 = Hex 390D = 9 013 = File not found. The sample pasted below "retrieves" the extended file-status code from the status-code returned by the byte-stream routine. Resolution:        copy "cblproto.cpy".        program-id. MYMAIN.        working-storage section.        01  .            05  file-details    cblt-fileexist-buf.        01 status-code   pic xx comp-5.        01 status-codeX  pic xx comp-x.        01 lgind-status redefines status-codeX .          &n

Problem: During batch compiles  a 197 error is returned - The file referenced is inoc.gnt. Resolution: This error originates from the license manager trying to display "no licenses available" with no tty devices available for output. User can utilize the  LMFWAIT environment variable in order allow for licenses to properly checked back in to the license manager See the Development System Licensing Guide, Chapter 2. Administering the License Management Facility for more details. Old KB# 7170

Problem: **    External Compiler Module message **    DB0009 MF DB2 Connect program reported error condition ' 1403'.This **    error prevents SQL processing from continuing - further EXEC SQL **    statements will be ignored. This error is produced when compiling a DB2 program under Server Express on AIX platform. The DB2 database resides on a different server than the one that it is being used to compile. Resolution: When you compile or run a DB2  program using Server Express DB2 compiler directive, it must first connect to the database.  With a local DB2 server, DB2 will attempt to use the logon information you used to logon onto that server if you do not provide ID/PASSWORD.  Generally, this works fine.  However, if the ID/PASSWORD on a remote server is different or non-existent, then the compile will fail with the 1403 error.&n

Problem: High watermark for monitoring Application Server licenses does not seem to be taking effect. Resolution: The high watermark file used to monitor Application Server licenses must be defined in upper case letters in $COBDIR/WATERMARK.  If the file is defined in lower case it is ignored. Old KB# 7205