Rocket® COBOL

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: You get the following message on Sun Sparc Solaris with Server Express: /tmp/cobAAAmZaaPD/%cob0.s: Assembler messages: /tmp/cobAAAmZaaPD/%cob0.s:36: Error: Unknown segment type /tmp/cobAAAmZaaPD/%cob0.s:36: Warning: rest of line ignored; first ignored character is '"' cob32: error(s) in assembling /tmp/cobAAAmZaaPD/%cob0.s Resolution: Solution is copy the GNU Versions to another name like cp /usr/local/bin/as    /usr/local/bin/as.gnu cp /usr/local/bin/ld    /usr/local/bin/ld.gnu cp /usr/local/bin/make  /usr/local/bin/make.gnu Then the cob command get the assembler of the Sun C Compiler Old KB# 7211

Problem: Net Express Release 4.0: The XML-Wizard may generate a data structure like: 04 xml-act identified by "act" count in xml-act-count.       05 xml-MyName PIC X(90) identified by "MyName" .   .......... 05 xml-more identified by "more".                                          06 xml-MyName PIC X(90) identified by "MyName". When coding   MOVE "Harry" to xml-MyName of xml-act. The following compiler error message is returned: COBCH0005S     User-name XML-MyName not unique Resolution: The identifier xml-MyName at the 05-level cannot be used in the COBOL-program, because there is no way for a proper qualification of thi

Problem: Using byte stream file handling and cbl_read_file is not returning any data. Return-code = 0 on  the cbl_open_file and receives Return_Code = 0 on the cbl_read_file but no data is received into his input buffer- Resolution: One of the parameters for the cbl_read_file is flags. This parameter can take the following values:           0 Standard read       128 Return the current file size in file-offset Need to make sure after the initial read to obtain the size of the file that the flags is set to 0 to do a standard read. Setting the flags to 0 resolved the no data returned in the input buffer issue. Old KB# 7148

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: Compiler errors reported becuase of * in first 6 columns of the source program Resolution: An asterick in column is treated as a comment compile using the directive NOMFCOMMENT Old KB# 7160

Problem: NOT SEEING PARAMETERS ON INPUT FILE defined as STDIN Resolution: set command_line_accept=true in the cobconfig file, which is a run-time configuration file. The run-time configuration file is a text file, which you can edit with your standard text editor. It is an optional file (no error will be issued if it does not exist) with the default name $COBDIR/etc/cobconfig. You can specify a filename for the configuration file by setting the environment variable COBCONFIG; for example: COBCONFIG=$HOME/myconfig export COBCONFIG command_line_accept Syntax: set command_line_accept={TRUE|FALSE} Value: TRUE or FALSE If TRUE, the first ACCEPT or READ from STDIN takes the input from the command line. Default: FALSE. The first ACCEPT or READ from STDIN takes the input from the user. This provides direct ANSI conformance. You should set this if you want to execute a program that has been generated from convert3 or convert5. Old KB# 717

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: Using either cob -ivt db2test.cbl -C "DB2(DB==SAMPLE)" or cob32 -C nolist -ivt db2test.cbl -C DB2(DB==SAMPLE) results in * Micro Focus Server Express         V2.2 revision 000           Compiler * Copyright (C) 1984-2003 Micro Focus International Ltd. URN RXCAI/AA0/00000 * Accepted - verbose * Accepted - reentrant * Accepted - nolist * Rejected - DB2(DB=SAMPLE) * 155-U 155     Illegal command line Resolution: One may see this error if 1. the DB2 ECM is not present- that means that the product does not support the precompiler on the specified platform. UDB isn't available on all UNIX platforms. Therefore, we only provide the DB2 ECM module on platforms where UDB is available, and IBM supports precompiling COBOL. Check to make sure that the platform supports UDB. 2. If the LIBPATH is not set correctly. Che

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: /usr/lib/cmplrs/cc/ld: Can't locate file for: -lclntst8 Just upgraded from Oracle 8 to Oracle 9 and trying to compile program with embedded Oracle SQL Resolution: The system loader (ld) is looking for libclntst8.so in $ORACLE_HOME/lib. The client-side library has a different name for each major release of Oracle, i.e. libclntst8.*, libclntst9.*, libclntst10.*. Update the cob command line accordingly for the Oracle client version in use. Old KB# 7210

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: Why don't the keys ALT CTRL work when pressing them? Resolution: Unfortunately most UNIX terminals, by default, simply do not send a key sequence when the Alt or Ctrl key is pressed.   You can see that no key sequence is sent from the ALT key by trying the following: > cat > test Then try pressing ALT, you will see that nothing appears in test, then try pressing ESC and you will see the key sequence  ^[ being shown as this is what is sent when the ESC key is pressed.   As nothing is sent when the ALT key is pressed then there is nothing for Server Express to respond to, therefore this is not a Server Express software issue, but a keyboard/Unix issue.  In order to get around this to use our software, we recommend using /a for alt and /c for ctrl. To get a full list of key mappings you can use /m or see the COBOL User's Guide Appendix for Unix key usage chart Otherwise maybe

Problem: What is the 'mfdebug' terminal setting? Resolution: When running under the control of the Animator any screen output is cached in memory. If you swap to the user screen (i.e. by pressing F2 or by executing an ACCEPT), the contents of the cached screen are displayed. The program has no terminal of its own because it's under the control of the animator. So, when the program writes to the terminal, it is actually passing terminal sequences to the animator to be decoded and cached. The Animator uses a generic terminal definition called 'mfdebug', which defines all the capabilities required. Because of this it is not recommended that the screen-swap Animator be used if a non-COBOL sub-program is performing a lot of screen I/O. A better solution is to use cross-session animation. This is documented in  the Debugging Handbook. Old KB# 7173

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: When Animator is invoked, the screen clears, some escape sequences are written including a 'bell' (this can be captured by redirecting stdout and stderr) then the process immediately exits back to the command prompt instead of animating as it should.  This happens for all programs including the most simple "hello world" program (use $COBDIR/demo/debug/tictac.cbl to demonstrate).  It occurs no matter how animator is invoked, including: regular "anim" From within tbox cross-session with "animsrv" cross-session with dynamic attachment CBL_DEBUGBREAK COBSW= A Animator is the only feature that's broken:  tbox and dfed work fine, and any program can be compiled successfully and will execute successfully, as long as animator is not used. The COBDIR, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, and PATH environment variables are set correctly.   The LMF and ASLMF licensing systems are working correct

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: Can I use Rollback on files without the user of Fileshare ? Resolution: To do this you still need to use Fileshare, but in single user mode. This means you don't need the external fileshare and comms processes.  See the Advanced chapter in the Fileshare Manual for more information. Old KB# 7099#RMCOBOL#COBOL#netexpress#ServerExpress#AcuCobol

Problem: How do you define a custom collating sequence? Resolution: Check the language reference manual. Below is the syntax that can be used to define an alphabet and how to make that alphabet the collating sequence for the program. Changing the collating sequence in this manner impacts everything in the program, if statements, condition name conditions, key sequences in randomly accessed files and sort statements. The alphabet is just an ordered series of literal values. Ranges can be specified with through/thru.       environment division.       configuration section.       object-computer.   program collation sequence is alphabet-name-1.       special-names.   alphabet alphabet-name-1 is   literal-1 thru literal-2   literal-3   also literal-4. For an example, see attach

Problem: Deployment of EJB mapdemo fails..."failed to create deployment package" Resolution: Make sure MFJ.CFG is pointing to JAVAC.EXE and MFJAR.CFG to JAR.EXE. These .cfg files are text files: ...Net Express\\Base\\bin\\mfj.cfg d:\\jdk\\bin\\javac.exe -verbose ...Net Express\\Base\\bin\\mfjar.cfg d:\\jdk\\bin\\jar.exe Old KB# 7110

Problem: Receiving a compilation error when trying to compile from within the IDE, click on compilation error to bring up the offending program line and receiving message "cannot access message file". Resolution: Removing all the files from the debug directory and recompiling cleared the "cannot access message file" error. Old KB# 7142

Problem: Use an environment variable for the compiler directive OUTDD($OUTDDENV) The $ is used to let the runtime know that it is to read this environement variable when the program does the first DISPLAY. Resolution:       $SET INITCALL(MFEXTMAP) OUTDD($OUTDDENV)       *       *    TO CHANGE THE CONTENTS OF AN ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE,       *    MFEXTMAP MUST BE LOADED.       *        IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.       **************************************************************       *        PROGRAM-ID.  OUTDDENV.       *       ******************************************

Problem: We have done web service development using VB and C# in the .NET environment, and would like to incorporate COBOL.  However, it appears that the University edition of COBOL .NET restricts the creation of a web service.  It compiles, and is visible in IIS, but the required files to reference the web service are missing. Resolution: You cannot deploy a Web Service created with Net Express UE, as it does not include Enterprise Server and its associated facilities. You will need a Server installation to create and deploy a Web Service. Old KB# 7102

Problem: FAQ Net Express 4.0 old runtime availablity Resolution: On November 24 2004 the back level wrappacks for the Enterprise server for Net Express 4.0 and Application server for Net Express 4.0 were made available on the support website just under the current level of the runtime patches. http://supportline.microfocus.com Old KB# 7118

Problem: MQ Series and SQL calls in the same program produce this error: Creating library DEBUG\\MQsqlACD.lib and object DEBUG\\MQsqlACD.exp MQsqlACD.OBJ : error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol _ODBCRW32 DEBUG\\MQsqlACD.exe : fatal error LNK1120: 1 unresolved externals Rebuild complete with errors Resolution: Normally MQSeries COBOL programs require the LITLINK directive, however when you use sql you cannot use this directive as it causes link errors.  You need to remove the litlink directive and use a procedure pointer to load the mqseries dll like follows: Use the Procedure-Pointer method, which will permit the same program to be run on a machine running MQSeries Client, or the MQSeries Server.   This does not require the addition of MQMCB32.LIB or MQICCB32.LIB when creating EXE or DLL.        IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.        PROGRAM-ID. 'MQODBC