Rocket® COBOL

Problem: When attempting to apply the clu01all.exe licensing fix can cause the installation process to hang. Resolution: Occasionally this happens when attempting to apply the fixes from the Net Express 4.0 CD-ROM.  Downloading and running the fix from the Micro Focus Supportline web site (http://supportline.microfocus.com) avoids this problem. Old KB# 7144

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: Fatal error LNK1181: cannot open input file "winspool.lib" when linking a Net Express application. Resolution: winspool.lib is not supplied with Net Express. This file is supplied by Microsoft with their Platform SDK for Win32 systems. It is freely available for download from the Microsoft website. Old KB# 7078

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: Which 'User rights' are needed when running Net Express in general? Resolution: Net Express must be run under a user account with a user-ID that has write access to the registry structure under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, and HKEY_CURRENT_USER so the installation software can set the environment for running Net Express. To uninstall Net Express, the same user-ID must be used as when you installed it. Especially, apart from this you should check the registry as follows: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\MICRO FOCUS HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\SOFTWARE\\MICRO FOCUS Old KB# 7124

Problem: Is it possible to configure how Net Express searches COBDIR to locate programs ? Resolution: The COBOL runtime which is responsible for the loading of programs is configurable using runtime tunables. The locations searched for during the call of a program is configurable using the "program_search_order"  runtime tunable. Old KB# 7117

Problem: The documentations state the following suggestions: "Provide a login on the UNIX system, and configure the .rhosts file to enable transparent login without requiring a password. See your UNIX documentation for details on how to do this." Resolution: Look at the "Alternative Security Mechanism: SCP Daemon Method" to enhance security. This topic can be found from the Net Express Help at Contents\\Using Net Express\\UNIX Option\\UNIX Option Guide\\A: Installing Samba and SCP\\Configuring SCP\\Alternative Security Mechanism: SCP Daemon Method This will force the user to key in valid user id and password in order to deploy on Unix. It is important that the user who starts the daemon from the Unix side has a root access. Old KB# 7132

Problem: Can I specify Microsoft's linker options like -version:<major>.<minor> using CBLLINK? Resolution: No, CBLLINK does not forward options to Microsoft's link.exe. The options  -version:<major>.<minor> can be specified by a different syntax in a .RC file, which can be included into the link process after being compiled to a .RES file. Alternatively start CBLLINK using options -V and -K -V means 'verbose' -K means  'keep temporary linker files' Rerun the link.exe with additional parameter -version:<major>.<minor> Old KB# 7095

Problem: Many developers find that older COBOL applications or those written for other COBOL compilers like WANG or DEC, demonstrate numeric entry that seems simpler than what Micro Focus COBOL expects.  Fewer keystrokes are needed to complete the entry and decimal alignment of edited numeric fields doesn't require the entry of a final period (.) in order to complete the ACCEPT command.  Here's a trick that works for all versions of Micro Focus COBOL, whether  you are using UNIX products like Server Express or Object COBOL Developer Suite or the PC products like Net Express or the older COBOL Workbench. Resolution: Using this short demonstration example:        Program-ID.  Numtest.        WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.        01 MY-NUMBER       PIC 9(09).     

Problem: These two errors occur because the programs are linked with different threading models. Runtime DLL 'CBLRTSM', version 3.1, entry point mF_ld_dynlnk_lib_check not recorded in registry, not found or incompatible with requirements of dynamically bound COBOL program. Dynamic binding of RTS requires: Runtime DLL 'CBLRTSS', at least Version 3.1 Runtime DLL 'CBLRTSS', version 3.1, entry point mF_ld_dynlnk_lib_check not recorded in registry, not found or incompatible with requirements of dynamically bound COBOL program. Dynamic binding of RTS requires: Runtime DLL 'CBLRTSM', at least Version 3.1 The version numbers and entry point name will vary depending on the application. Resolution: These errors occur when a calling program has been created with one threading model and the called  DLL has been created with a different threading model. The fix is to rebuild the application programs and use a consistent th

Problem: ODBC errors when accessing data using Intelliview and an XDB ODBC Driver Resolution: These errors are caused by having the "XDB" check box option set in the ODBC Server configuration. Changing this to DB2 resolves the problem. The XDB is for use with old versions of the XDB Server. Old KB# 7125

Problem: Net Express was recently installed on a computer. When trying to run it, a  Semaphore failure error is reported. It is necessary to uninstall Net Express 4.0, clean up registry and previous installed folders, reboot, and reinstall Net Express 4.0 Resolution: step 1) control panel -> administrative tools-> services                stop micro focus directory server              stop micro focus xdb server step 2) control panel  -> add/remove programs and uninstall Micro Focus Net Express 4.0 step 3) start -> run -> regedit             if net express is the only micro focus product you have installed then search and               delete "micro foc

Problem: Net Express 3.0 installation on Windows 2000 service pack 3, Error duing installation of service pack 1, error 255 when trying to install compiler fixpack. Resolution: Uninstall  Net Express 3.0 and prepare machine for reinstall. Suggest installing Net Express 3.0 into a folder with no spaces, for example-> c:\\ne30 step 1) uninstall Net Express 3.0, retain license step 2) make sure no folders exist from previous installation attempts step 3) set tmp and temp environment variables in both system variables and user                      variables  to c:\\temp             How to set temp and tmp:             goto My Computer and right mouse click and select properties      &nbs

Problem: How to use the data file editor for files with non DAT extensions? Resolution: The extensions must be added before the file is added to the project. If you have a data file with an extension of XYZ that you would like to use the data file editor within a Net Express project you will need to set the extension XYZ to data. PROJECT menu      Extensions           Add               XYZ                Data Select the OK button and then the Close button Now, by adding the file to the project, it will be setup as a data file. Old KB# 7090

Problem: Is it possible to load multiple COBOL source files in to the same instance of the Net Express IDE by double clicking on files in Explorer? Resolution: It is not possible to configure the Net Express IDE in this manner.  It would require Micro Focus to add a DDE/OLE interface layer and this is something that is not currently present. Alas, it is not the sort of functionality that will be added given our strategy of further Visual Studio integration in the future. Old KB# 7121

Problem: Unable to call a Microsoft C from a COBOL program.  The call never went into the C function. Resolution: This was caused bythe C functon not being exported as an entry point in the DLL.  The simplest mechanism is to add the __declspec( dllexport ) declaration to before the C function.  This specifies that the function is to be made visible in the DLL. Old KB# 7127

Problem: COBOL Web Service Clients default to PIC X(100) for Strings. This can cause issues as more than 100 characters may be returned in a string. Resolution: You can amend the WSDL for a WebService to specify the expected string size and then generate the COBOL Client from the amended  WSDL. An example of this is below:- <?xml version="1.0"?> <definitions name="CATrafficService" targetNamespace="http://www.xmethods.net/sd/CATrafficService.wsdl" xmlns:tns="http://www.xmethods.net/sd/CATrafficService.wsdl" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/soap/" xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/" xmlns:new="new"> <types> <schema xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" targetNamespace="new"> <simpleType name="string2"> <restriction base=&q

Problem: In DG COBOL, a file is restricted to 4 alternate keys, what is the maximun number of alternate keys supported by Net Express? Resolution: Net Express allows up to 252 alternate keys in an indexed file. Old KB# 7140#RMCOBOL#netexpress#AcuCobol#ServerExpress#COBOL

Problem: If you want to make an colour expressed in Red Green Blue (as in the GUI Class Library) then you cannot simply subtract a value from each of the RGB values. Resolution: To make an RGB  lighter you first need to convert and RGB value to a H S L value. This is Hue Saturation and Light, and is an alternate way of expressing a colour numerically. The L can then then be altered to lighten the colour, and then HSL can be converted back to RGB. There are well know algorithms to do this, and I have attached a COBOL implementation to this KB Item. Attachments: RGBtoHSL.cbl Old KB# 7080

Problem: How to search for files with a certain extension (e.g. *.cbl) in a directory using a Cobol program. Resolution: Use the X'91' function 69 routine. A loop can be used to retrieve many matched files as shown in the excerpt of code below: [...]    move 'd:\\dir\\*.cbl' to f-filein    move spaces to f-fileout    call x'91' using f-result,                           function-code, *>69                          f-parameters.    move 1 to f-action    perform search-files until f-error = 1 or 2 [...] search-files.    if f-attrout >= 32       display f-fileo

Problem: If an application creates a .NET dialog box and then tries to make it modal to an unmanaged character-base app built as graphical, it won't seem to be purely modal. This is because the text window runs in its own thread so if the dialog box is created in the main thread each window will be using a different message queue and so the text window will still be able to process messages (such as Close). There is an EnableWindow API on Windows to enable/disable message processing on a window, that could normally be used within a Dialog Box, but there may not be any equivalent in .NET so the C# code would need to access it via a platform invoke to the unmanaged API. The application would call EnableWindow(hwnd, false) when the dialog box is entered (on the Activate event maybe) and EnableWindow(hwnd, true) before the dialog box is removed (on the Closing event). Resolution: If an application creates a .NET dialog box and try to make it modal to an unmanaged

Problem: From time to time, you may encounter the need to uninstall one or more FixPacks, AddPacks, or Service Packs that you have installed for the Net Express, Mainframe Express, and/or Revolve products.  There are two separate mechanisms that you can use to accomplish this task. Resolution: They are: 1) Go to the Windows Control Panel (select the Start button and then Settings > Control Panel) and select the "Add/Remove Programs" function.  You should see the individual FixPacks, AddPacks, and Service Packs for the products listed in the list of programs.  Simply select the individual 'Packs' that you wish to uninstall and select the 'Change/Remove' button to uninstall. 2) You can also use the Webpacks utility to perform the same task.  The Webpacks utility can be found at http://supportline.microfocus.com.  Use your SupportLine login ID and Password to logon.  Under

Problem: Is Net Express 4.0 compatible with Windows XP SP2? Resolution: Net Express 4.0 has been tested on SP2 and the results did not show any problems.  Full support will be announced from the WebSync released in November 2004 (ALL04N40.EXE). Old KB# 7113

Problem: A web application may appear to be able to create an output file from the development machine with the Solo webserver. Once deployed on an IIS server, the output file may not be created. Resolution: Make sure the output file is created in a directory where the application has permissions. Since the application in some instances is executed by IIS, which has its own user id to execute the web application or access some allowed resources, make sure it has access to the directory where the appplication will create the file. Old KB# 7126

Problem: The customer was making a CALL to a subprogram in the form of an external DLL. He was attempting to use the ON EXCEPTION clause of the CALL statement by using ON EXCEPTION CONTINUE. He did not have a NOT ON EXCEPTION phrase nor did he have an END-CALL or a period to end the CALL statement. He could not figure out why none of his statements following the CALL were being executed since he knew that the CALL was being executed successfully. The following is the sytax that he used: 100-TEST.      IF WS-TEST-TRUE           MOVE "PROG2"  TO WS-NEXT-PROG           CALL WS-NEXT-PROG USING RFVCODES RETRN-CD                 ON EXCEPTION CONTINUE           CANCEL WS-NEXT-PROG  &nbs