Rocket® COBOL

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: 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: 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: 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: "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

Problem: Which compiler directive initializes all the variables in a source? Resolution: DEFAULTBYTE Initializes each otherwise undefined byte of the Data Division to the character given. Syntax: >>-.----.--DEFAULTBYTE--"integer"-----------><        -/- Parameters: integer ASCII code of the character, in decimal. Properties: Default: DEFAULTBYTE"00" ( Dialect ) Phase: Syntax check $SET: Initial Dependencies: Set to DEFAULTBYTE"32" immediately by CHARSET"ASCII". Set to DEFAULTBYTE"00" immediately by CHARSET"EBCDIC", MS, IBM-MS or PC1. Comments: integer is a decimal value. For example, if you want to specify an EBCDIC space use DEFAULTBYTE"64"; to specify an ASCII space use DEFAULTBYTE"32". Old KB# 6982

Problem: how do you put a quote in the middle of text that you want to print? Resolution: Use 3 quotes. For example: if you want to use the string  "the "special" item" define it as "the """special""" item" Old KB# 6995

Problem: On rebuilding - after upgrading Net Express from 3.1 to 4.0 -  our web-project (FKWEB3.1) we get this error message. Do you have a hint?? Resolution: Net Express 4.0: You should check in your Net Express environment this: Project Build Settings -> Link -> Category 'Advanced' It could be that you have included at this point under 'Link with these OBJs' the 'FKWEB3.1_RTECFG.OBJ' more than once. Please ensure to have this OBJ only 1 time to build your application. Old KB# 6962

Problem: With every attempt to print, the print job shows in the print queue as "spooling", and never changes status.  On exiting the application, the job disappears from the queue. Resolution: The following settings will work once the Net Express 4.0 Application Server Service Pack (currently aps03a40.exe) has been applied. Click "Start" (button). Point "Settings" (group) and click "Printers and Faxes" (button). Click the printer-name you want to select. Right mouse click on the printer- name that you want to use and click "Properties" (button). Click "Ports" (tab) and confirm LPT? is selected. Click "Advanced" (tab). Click "Always available" (radio button). Click "Spool print documents so program finishes faster" (radio button). Click "Start printing immediately" (radio button) Click "Print Processor" (button). The default Print Pr

Problem: You may have run the ADISCF function to configure ADIS for certain screen/keyboard behaviour on your Net Express development environment, but found that the same behavior is not reflected in your Application Server environment in production. Resolution: The file ADISCTRL in your \\Net Express\\Base\\Bin directory in development contains the ADIS settings. Copy this file to your production machine and copy into the \\Net Express\\Base\\Bin directory on that machine. Old KB# 6976

Problem: when opening  a file in the data file editor - it is not loading the structure file that was created Resolution: if you open a file and the editor does not use the structure file automatically you can do File (form top tool bar) - datatools - load record layout if the str is in the same directory as the file with the same name - it will automatically use the str in the editor Old KB# 6958

Problem: A .Net project reports a RTE 173 cbl_xmlio not found when executing an OPEN on an XML file Resolution: At the moment, we've only a workaround: Add the directive: $set ILPINVOKE(cblxmls.dll) to those COBOL .Net programs, which need XML You will need: $set ILPINVOKE(cblxmlm.dll) for mulit-threaded applications Old KB# 6959

Problem: Using different ODBC drivers resulting in an ODBC error 900 "Invalid SQL string": EXEC SQL AT DBO         PREPARE DYNSQL FROM :DB-SQL END-EXEC. Resolution: OpenESQL soes not support using the AT clause with SQL PREPARE statements, so remove the 'AT DBO' from the statement. Old KB# 7004

Problem: "CGI Error: The specified CGI application misbehaved by not returning a complete set of HTTP headers." is the message the webserver will return when a web application (or cgi) cannot find or access the runtime files or other resources. Resolution: Application Server was installed on deployed workstation, application was linked with shared dynamic but no license had been installed to the Application Server License database. Entering a valid Application Server serial number and license key through AppTrack utility, found in the Application Server directory, resolved the CGI error. Old KB# 7000

Problem: There is a known issue with the "Watch the Tour" link when the help is invoked by way of the Help menu in the Net Express IDE (Integrated Development Environment).  It should work outside of the Net Express IDE however. Try starting the help from the Windows Start button, Programs, Micro Focus Net Expresss 4.0, Help menu item. Resolution: There is a known issue with the "Watch the Tour" link when the help is invoked by way of the Help menu in the Net Express IDE (Integrated Development Environment).  It should work outside of the Net Express IDE however. Try starting the help from the Windows Start button, Programs, Micro Focus Net Expresss 4.0, Help menu item. Old KB# 6957

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: No, add COPYEXT"CPY,COB"  directive to the Project | Properties | Project directives. After adding this directive use the Project | Update all dependency to update the project. Be sure that you have only one semi-colon as the last entry within the Project directives %FILENAME COBIDY(%TARGETDIR) WB3 WB CSI ANIM EDITOR(MF2) ENSUITE(3) COPYEXT"CPY,COB" Resolution: Old KB# 6979

Problem: The simplest way is to retrieve the contents of the environment variable USERNAME, as in the code pasted below Others ways are to use the WIN32 APIs  GetUSerName or WNetGetUser, as described in MF NeXx sample page getuser.zip :    Using WIN 32 Api to get the current user logged using the win 32 api in Cobol getnuser.zip:   Using WIN 32 Api to get the current user logged on the network using the win 32    api in cobol   Resolution:         working-storage section.        01  ENV-value                pic x(200).        01  ENV-name.                pic x(11) value "USERNAME". &n

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: This indicates that the Oracle client does not know what instance to connect to, or which TNS alias to use. Resolution: On Windows, using an Oracle connection without the instance name requires the LOCAL environment variable to be set to an instance defined to the system.  The example below requires LOCAL to be set because the instance is not specified.   EXEC SQL          CONNECT :USERNAME IDENTIFIED BY :PASSWD END-EXEC. The following example defines the instance, and will therefore override the value set in LOCAL if it has been set. EXEC SQL       CONNECT  :USERID       IDENTIFIED BY :PASSWD       USING :INSTANCE END-EXEC. Old KB# 7005

Problem: The customer created a solution using Visual Studio .Net that contains two projects. He had a main Console application that invoked a wrapper class in a different Assembly. From this class, he was attempting to do a PIatform Invoke call to an unmanaged .dll developed in Net Express 4.0. He added a reference to the unmanaged .dll in his project but when he tried to do a dynamic call at run-time to call the unmanaged .dll he received a run-time error  174  (imported file not found) Resolution: The problem is that when using .NET Platform Invoke from a COBOL program, you cannot call the unmanaged .dll with a dynamic call. You must use a static CALL "progname" instead and the case of "progname" must exactly match what is used as the entry point name in the unmanaged .dll. So if the CASE or FOLD-CALL-NAME directives are being used then you must call the program using the appropriate name that will be generated

Problem: The code pasted below is just on add-on to the cobreg demo available on MF WEB Netx sample page; the initial cobreg demo reads & updates registries on the "local" computer. With the code pasted below, you'll be able to read registry on a remote computer. cobreg: Accessing the Windows registry with COBOL and writing or reading information from the registry Resolution: use the WIN32 API RegConnectRegistry as pasted below ========================================================== RegConnectRegistry: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/sysinfo/base/regconnectregistry.asp MSDN registry APIs http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/sysinfo/base/registry_functions.asp ========================================================== ... working-storage section. 01 ComputerName pic x(100) value z"\\\\NameOfTheRemoteComputer". 01 result long. ...  &nb