Rocket® COBOL

Problem: When a Tuxedo service program (exe) contains a call to a sub-program,  the call to the sub-program fails.   Resolution: Using Net Express, all this is hidden from you as the CBLLINK utility does this all for you.   This is an issue with how the Tuxedo Service EXE is being built. The BEA supplied makefiles assume that only one COBOL module will be linked into the EXE.   It is not running CBLNAMES as part of the process. CBLNAMES takes as a parameter all the COBOL objs that are to be linked, and creates "cblds.obj" which should be linked into the main exe.  The BEA makefile for the client uses CBLNAMES, but the server does not.   As this step has not been done the sub-program is not found when called unless built as a separate DLL. The Tuxedo build process needs to link in other Tuxedo specific C modules and objs. Change the make file to run cblnames and also link

Problem: How to finalize an instance of a .NET class ? Resolution: The .Net CLR runtime will Garbage Collect at various points. It will clear objects that cannot be reached. In COBOL you could set and object reference to null (or to another object). The object would not be reachable and therefore Garbage Collected. Old KB# 6975

Problem: Can you retain breakpoints using CBL_DEBUGBREAK outside the Net Express project, especially in a IBM TX Series CICS environment? Resolution: In Net Express IDE the breakpoints are held in the project, so it's not possible to retain them when using CBL_DEBUGBREAK. Furthermore, there's no way of retaining breakpoints outside of Net Express projects, using CBL_DEBUGBREAK in an CICS environment. Old KB# 7003

Problem: My program does not find the MFEXTMAP.DAT-file Resolution: 1. See handbook: Example of using the External File Mapper 2. Remember: the environment-variable MFEXTMAP points to a directory, rather than to the file itself 3. Try to use the dynamic runtime system 4. Try to read the environment variable MFEXTMAP, e.g.        01 actual-value pic x(60).        display "MFEXTMAP"     upon Environment-name        accept  actual-value       from Environment-value        display "Value of MFEXTMAP = " actual-value Old KB# 6988

Problem: 114 on 'acccgi' when running a COBOL CGI Application under Windows 2003 / IIS6 Resolution: This problem has been fixed in the runtime fixpack for Net Express 3.1 and 4.0. Old KB# 6952

Problem: AutoUpdate utility will not display available fixpacks for Net Express v4.0 Resolution: For Net Express v4.0 It is noted on the SupportLine web site, http://supportline.microfocus.com NOTE: Net Express 4.0 users - AutoUpdate no longer supports Net Express 4.0. To obtain updates please use the All WebSync WrapPack. Old KB# 6966

Problem: How do you make "bookmarks" in Net Express 4.0 Help? Resolution: Locate your topic in Contents, Index or Search and Display the topic. Click the Favorites tab. The name of your topic should be displayed in "Current topic". Click Add (button) to add your topic to your list of Favorites. Old KB# 6983

Problem: Executing an OpenESQL application under .NET can return RTS173 against SQLASTRT when attempting to connect. Resolution: This is with .NET and needs the ODBCRW32.DLL added as a reference to the project. Old KB# 6996

Problem: Even with Oracle include set, doesn't pick up sqlca.cob from Oracle directory Resolution: By default, the compiler will not pick up copy files with an extension of .cob. You should therefore use the COPYEXT compiler directive to ensure that the compiler searches for files with this extension, for example COPYEXT(cob,cpy,cbl) In addition, you should either set the COBCPY environment variable to include the Oracle directory containing sqlca.cob, or copy sqlca.cob into the current project directory. Old KB# 6945

Problem: When dragging the mouse from a location to another in the Net Express editor, the lines are selected, not by columns. Resolution: The default behavior is to select line blocks. This can be changed to select column blocks from the Edit options: click Options from the menu click Edit... click on the Blocks / Clipboard tab select "Select column blocks when dragging, except when in the prefix area" Old KB# 6981

Problem: Are there any demos showing how to create an ActiveX list box? Resolution: We would suggest you look at: 1) On our web site under the support demos section you can find:    actxsamp.zip    cbl2vbx.zip 2) In Net Express there are a number of demos under:    \\Net Express\\Base\\DEMO\\OLEDEMOS 3) You may also want to look at Dialog System as this may provide the    functionality your customer requires. Old KB# 6950

Problem: Is cblfh.dll required when deploying a COBOL.Net File Handling application ? Resolution: If you are using a release prior to April2004 then it is required. From the April 2004 WebSync the COBOL File handler is now managed code and therefore does not require the unmanaged file handler to be on the system. Old KB# 6953

Problem: Differences between Net Express 4.0 University Edition and Net Express 4.0 commercial edition Resolution: The main diffenences are 1) cobol programs are limited to 2200 lines of code. 2) applications can not be deployed to another machine. 3) University Edition cannot be used for any commercial use, while the commercial edition can. Old KB# 6948

Problem: We have programs which have one name for the .CBL filename and a different name for the Program-Id field.   Can we compile and Animate them in Micro Focus? Resolution: There is a directive, Prog-Id-Int-Name, which allows one to use something like this:   Files named  A1.Cbl, A2.Cbl, A3.Cbl   Program Id's are  X1, X2, X3   The CALLing sequence is X1 CALLs X2 which then CALLs X3 By passing the Prog-Id-Int-Name directive, we create INT & IDY files named X1, X2, X3, but the Animator will use the .Cbl files for displaying the source. Old KB# 6985

Problem: Sometimes it is a requirement to distribute an application in only one .exe file. How do you do this with an application that uses Dialog System for its user interface and therefore, contains its screensets in many .gs files that can not be linked? Resolution: It is not possible to include screensets (.gs files) within a .exe. If what you want is to distribute everything within one file, your only alternative is to create a .lbr library file. In the earlier COBOL systems (Workbench), you could distribute an application as .int or .gnt files and any other read-only files packaged in .lbr files. You would have to include a small additional .exe file, called a trigger, to start the application. In Workbench you would use the Build utility to create this trigger, but this utility has not been included in Net Express. In Net Express, you distribute applications linked into .exe and .dll files. .int and .gnt files are only used for running within the ID

Problem: how to read parameters from a file? Resolution: To read paramaters from a file, use the INDD compiler directive: INDD Causes ACCEPT statements to be read from a specified file. Syntax: >>-.---.--.----.--INDD--"fname"------------.><     -/-    ---- --INDD---------------------            -NO- Parameters: fname Name of file to be read for the specified ACCEPT statements. When this parameter is not specified the name used is SYSIN. Properties: Default: NOINDD Phase: Syntax check $SET: Initial Comments: When INDD is specified, all format 1 ACCEPT statements which either have no FROM option or specify FROM SYSIN (or the mnemonic-name associated with SYSIN) are transformed into READ statements, reading from a file with the specified external filename. The filename can be mapped onto physical filenames in the same way as other files with

Problem: WrapPack will fail or freeze when getting to the Runtime portion of the WrapPack Resolution: Prior to running the installation of the Net Express 4.0 All WebSync WrapPack, ensure that all Net Express applications are shut down. This also includes components of Net Express such as Enterprise Server, Fileshare, Net Express command prompts, Net Express for .NET, Net Express Help files and the Net Express IDE itself. To stop any Enterprise Servers that may be running on your development system, from the Net Express IDE click on "Tools > Enterprise Server Administration" to launch the Enterprise Server Administration Home page and for each Server which currently displays "Started" under the Current Status column, press the Details button directly under the status and then at the bottom of the Details page click on the "Stop Server" button Old KB# 6961

Problem: When using an extfh.cfg file to access a file >6GB that is located using a physical path, often the physical path is mistakenly configured as:     [\\\\TESTING\\\\DATA\\\\TF.DAT]     IDXFORMAT=8     FILEMAXSIZE=8 Resolution: To configure a physical path in an extfh.cfg file, you need to enure that an extra set of \\\\ characters are at the begining of the path, so in this instance it should read: [\\\\\\\\TESTING\\\\DATA\\\\TF.DAT]     IDXFORMAT=8     FILEMAXSIZE=8 Old KB# 6971#RMCOBOL#COBOL#netexpress#ServerExpress#AcuCobol

Problem: Running a .NET WebService on a Windows 2000 Server, that requires the machines system registry to be accessed, fails with en error message: fail 0000000099 Resolution: To access the system registry from a web service, you must ensure that the correct permissions are set: 1) If using IIS, check that the user iuser_machinename (where machinename is the name given to the machine) belongs to the Administrator's group. 2) Ensure that the ASP.Net user has the correct Admin permissions set. Old KB# 6969

Problem: When running the Net Express 4.0 setup process directly from the CD-ROM you may get a Windows Alert : Invalid initialisation file error message causing the installation process to hang. Resolution: Copy the contents of the Net Express CD-ROM to a folder on the installation machine that does not contain any spaces. Now run the x:\\setup.exe from that folder - this will allow the installation process to run. Old KB# 6968

Problem: PC_PRINTER_OPEN PC_PRINTER_SET_DEFAULT         PC_PRINTER_INFO PC_PRINTER_GET_FONT PC_PRINTER_SET_FONT PC_PRINTER_WRITE PC_PRINTER_CONTROL PC_PRINTER_CLOSE You may wish to know which API's are called from the PC_ routines... Resolution: To see the API's used, drop to a Net Express command prompt and change directory to the Net Express\\base\\bin folder and run the command LINK -DUMP -IMPORTS CBLPRNT.DLL Old KB# 6986

Problem: SQL Server 2000 - global tables work, but need to use local temporary table and those are not working. Resolution: You need to use dynamic SQL and the EXECUTE IMMEDIATE statement to create the temporary table. Use something like the following: declared a string-        01 preptmp pic x(100). move create statement into the string             string               'Create table #empbas2 (emp_id char(10), '               ' name varchar(30))'               INTO preptmp             end-string. used dynamic sql to execute the statement        

Problem: "ERROR: (10) Requested main program entry point not found" when trying to compile a program that has a names larger than 30 bytes. Resolution: This is a limitation that is documented: Limits on Names, Literals and PICTURE Character Strings Language elements are limited to the following sizes: Language Element Maximum Size Alphanumeric literal values 2048 bytes PICTURE character string 30 characters PICTURE replication  (for example, n in PIC X(n)) 256,000,000 Program-Id name 30 characters Entry point names 30 characters Programmer defined words 30 characters External filenames  (for program source and object files, copyfiles, data files) 261 characters for the filename, 256 characters for the basename and extension together Dynamically loadable program names 261 characters for the filename, 256 characters for the basename and extension together. The first 30 characters must be uniq

Problem: FETCH PREVIOUS and FETCH PRIOR not working using Oracle OCI If you attempt to do the scrolloption static and the declare mycursor static If you set the following directives; sql(usecurlib=ifneeded) and sql(usecurlib=yes) when a scrolloption static you get a sql error on the open The fetch prior  will give the next record not previous. Resolution: OpenESQL does not support use of scrollable cursors with Oracle OCI, i.e. when the application is compiled with the SQL(TARGETDB=ORACLEOCI) directive. The Database Access manual lists OpenESQL functionality which isn't supported with Oracle OCI. Old KB# 6956

Problem: The following statement has caused a compiler error "Operand TALLY is not declared":   DIVIDE WS-VALUE1 BY WS-VALUE2      GIVING TALLY REMAINDER WS-VALUE3               Resolution: The TALLY special register is a syntax that is not standard COBOL but is part of IBM Syntax. To use this you need to enable it using either the OSVS or VSC2 compiler directives. If you use either of these then your program will compile cleanly. Old KB# 6991