Rocket® COBOL

Problem: The program, calling a sub program multiple times, runs successfully with the return code=0 before stop run.  However, the error level check in bat file returns 3.   Resolution: You need to use the "returning" keyword on the goback, or stop run statement, to ensure the return-code is appropriately passed : For example: IF RETURN-CODE = 0     GOBACK RETURNING 0 or: STOP RUN RETURNING RETURN-CODE Old KB# 7006

Problem: There are various ways of installing Application Server for Net Express on client machines.  Sometimes, given that client machines may be spread over large territories, it is not always practical to install locally.   NB.  there is a slight name change between versions.  In 4.0 and previous versions the runtime is called Application Server for NetExpress whilst in 5.0 onwards the runtime is simply called Server for NetExpress.  The procedure descibed below remains the same regardless. Resolution: Install Application Server and software application (executable) on the server machine, after ensuring that Net Express (development environment) is not installed. Install the license key details on the server machine, ensuring the license key adequately covers the aniticpated number of users.  Then, on each client machine, change the path settings of the environment variables  PATH, COB

Problem: How is a cross reference listing created using Net Express 4.0? Resolution: Use a "Cobol.dir" file (a text file consisting of compiler directives, one directive per line) with the following directives, to create a basic compiler listing file with Data Map and Cross Reference listings appended to the end of the source file listing. ....show-dir.......... - Shows the content of directives files in the source listing. ....setting"col3"..... - Includes a list of the directive settings, three directives per line in columns. ....confirm........... - Echos all subsequent directives to the screen. ....list().............. - Causes the listing file to be named "source-name.lst", where "source-name" ....................... - is the basename of the program being compiled. ....xref............... - Makes the Compiler produce a cross-reference listing. ....datamap......... - Causes the Compiler to output information o

Problem: 114 error when loading Net Express. Resolution: Please try the following when you get this error: 1) Open a Net Express command prompt:    Start, Programs, Micro Focus Net Express 4.0, Net Express Command Prompt 2) At the command line enter:    mfnetx /n If this works, then you probably have a corrupt project (.APP) file.  You will need to recreate your project file from scratch. If this is not the issue then look at the following: Lets take a step back and see if anything runs.  As before, open a Net Express command prompt and enter "COBOL" at the command line followed by pressing RETURN. Does this give the 114 error ?  If not (control and C breaks out of the compiler), then go to the following folder: \\net express\\base\\demo\\adsamp and enter: cobol adsamp anim; Does this work? If it does, then the next step is to ensure that your installation o

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: 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: 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: How to setup multiple options for MFDSSW? Resolution: Just put the options one after the other, eg. MFDSSW=/E1/K Old KB# 6872

Problem: The toolbar no longer appears when I launch Net Express. Have opened and closed IDE multiple times and it won't be displayed. Doesn't appear to be minized anywhere. Resolution: From the IDE View -> Dockable Windows , check Toolbar and the Toolbar should now be displayed. Old KB# 6899

Problem: If you follow the "Working with COBOL Projects with .NET" tutorial and get at the steps for adding a Web reference, you may get prompted to open or save after clicking on the Service1 link  from the Add Web Reference wizard. Resolution: This problem may actually occur with any service that is selected from the Add Web Reference wizard. This simply means that the file name extension (.asmx) was not mapped to any program or interpreter that processes that file type. Here are the steps to map that file name extension to the program or interpreter: 1. Find out if there are different versions of the MS .NET Framework installed on the machine 2. Determine which one (if there are more than one version) is the latest version by looking at the directory name (e.g. C:\\[Windows directory]\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v1.1.4322 is more recent than C:\\[Windows directory]\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v1.0.3705) 3. Open a command prompt session 4

Problem: When using OLE applications such as Word\\Excel, where can you find the corresponding commands in Net Express, e.g. invoke theDocuments "????" etc. Resolution: The Automation Objects and Properties (such as "theDocuments") that can be invoked by Word\\Excel product are documented in the "Microsoft Word\\Excel Visual Basic Reference" which you must ensure is installed. It is an optional component that you select when installing Word\\Excel. Old KB# 6909

Problem: We used to use this program, dfedwg.exe to edit customer datafiles. Is there a NE 4.0 equlivent for this program? Resolution: In Net Express 4.0 the Data Tools are now integrated into the main development environment. Old KB# 6913

Problem: The tutorial gives the following steps to add a web reference: 1. Right-click OurConsApp in Solution Explorer, and click Add Web Reference. The Add Web Reference wizard is displayed. If we knew the URL, we could enter it directly in the URL entry field. 2. Click the link for Web Services On The Local Machine. A list of all web services on your machine appears very quickly, showing the Services name and URL. We only have one, Service1. Resolution: If the user does not see anything after clicking the link for Web Services On The Local Machine, it is possible the user does not have a web server running on his/her machine. (This would be the case for Win9x/ME and WinXP Home users) If user is running Windows 2000 or XP Profesionnal, they can install the IIS as follows: 1. Go to Add/Remove Program from Control Panel 2. Click on Add/Remove Windows Components from the left-hand right of the window 3. Check the option for Internet Information Servic

Problem: Release: 3.1   What you need to do is to go through the internet applicaton wizard again. Resolution: You should select the relevant forms as if he is generating the CGI again from scratch. When this is done you will be prompted to overwrite the existing CGI. You should select NO and then only the relevent copybooks will be changed. Old KB# 6873

Problem: If you use charset"ebcdic" in a OpenESQL program that uses SQL Server you will get the following error when linking:- error : unresolved external symbol _OESQLEBC@12 Resolution: You need to link your EXE with  OESQLEBC.OBJ  that is supplied with Net Express Old KB# 6904

Problem: Net Express 4.0 is not supported under Windows ME Resolution: The supported Windows operating systems are: 98, NT, 2000, XP, Server 2003 Old KB# 6917

Problem: Is there a way to set the SQL ODBC Query Timeout using OpenESQL ? Resolution: Yes, You can use the SET OPTION statement. EXEC SQL SET OPTION QUERYTIME value END-EXEC Where value is the number of seconds the program will wait for a response, the default is 0 which means it will wait forever. NOTE: This option may not be supported by all ODBC drivers. In addition, you can use a signed comp-5 host variable for the numeric value. Old KB# 6879

Problem: How to be able to have upper and lower case in a PROPERTY Statement in a datafield as property of a class. The problem here is that all letters are automatically changed into capital letters. Resolution: This is COBOL syntax and everything is automatically transformed into capital letters. In order to have lower case or a mix of upper- and lower case letters you can do the following: working-storage section. 01 TestValueAdd1 pic s9(9) comp property as "TestValueAdd1". 01 TestValueAdd2 pic s9(9) comp property as "TestValueAdd2". ******** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ UPPER- and Lowercase method-id. "InstanceMethod" as "MixedCase". local-storage section. linkage section. Old KB# 6928

Problem: Can you connect to a database using ODBC without configuring a Data Source Name (DSN) ? Can I connect to SQL Server without using a DSN? Can I connect to Oracle without using a DSN? How do you use ODBC connection strings? Using an ODBC connection string, a -19703 error occurs on the CONNECT statement. Resolution: Yes, by using a connection string, this doesn't require a datasource name  (DSN) to be set up on the target workstation. The connection string and parameters differ for each driver. For the driver name, use the name that appears in the left-most column of the drivers tab in the ODBC control panel. For other connect string options, look up "SQLDriverConnect"  or "Connection String" in the help file for the driver. You access the help file by starting to set up a DSN and then clicking the help button. There may be other options tha you set up through the configuration of a data source that yo

Problem: Can Net Express Application Server be run on a clustered server? Resolution: We are not aware of any issues with running Net Express Application Server in a clustered environment.  The only thing to be aware of is licencing.  As licencing is local to each machine, each PC in the cluster would have to have its own licence definition/database. Old KB# 6941

Problem: "Internal Error. Module c:\\Program Files\\Rational\\ClearCase\\bin\\cccmndlg.dll is using command ranges improperly. Please contact technical support." Resolution: Known problem with Clearcase, was reported to them in Jan'01 workaround is to create a shortcut with drive\\path\\mfnetx /RSRCCHKOFF or lauch Net Express from Net Express command prompt by typing mfnetx /RSRCCHKOFF This turns off resource checking. Old KB# 6925

Problem: You may set the EXTFH environment variable to a specific .cfg file to determine certain behaviour for the file handler on specific files. However, it may be that the settings in the config file specified seem to be ignored. eg:    set EXTFH=D:\\Test\\Big File\\extfhbig.cfg testextfg.cfg may contain the lines: [XFH-DEFAULT] FILEMAXSIZE=8 Resolution: If the path to the filename has spaces it must be enclosed by quotes. For example: set EXTFH="D:\\Test\\Big File\\extfhbig.cfg" In the instance above the file should now adhere to the FILEMAXSIZE specified Old KB# 6922#ServerExpress#AcuCobol#RMCOBOL#COBOL#netexpress

Problem: Two methods besides using LITLINK compiler directive and adding the correct MQMCB32.LIB or MQICCB32.LIB to the CBLLINK process. Add "call-convention 12" to your program and modify all the calls to MQ from " CALL 'MQ' " to "CALL MQCALL 'MQ'".  This will require the correct MQMCB32.LIB or MQICCB32.LIB to be linked.  This can only be uses as DLL or EXE not GNT or INT. Resolution:        IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.        PROGRAM-ID. 'MQODBCPUT'        environment division.        configuration section.        special-names.            call-convention 12 is MQCALL.        PROCEDURE DIVISION.     &

Problem: Are there any examples of accessing Excel from COBOL via COM? Resolution: There are examples in Net Express which show how to access Excel and Word from COBOL.  The demos can be found in:    \\Net Express\\Base\\Demo\\OLEDEMOS\\EXCEL    \\Net Express\\Base\\Demo\\OLEDEMOS\\WORD    \\Net Express\\Base\\Demo\\OLEDEMOS\\REPORT The downside with OLE is that you are reliant on the vendor of the OLE server for details of the methods they make public.  In Microsoft's case this is normally in the Visual BASIC for Applications on-line help. Old KB# 6935

Problem: Release: 3.1 How to improve the performance of COM objects. Resolution: Check the following: 1) The COBOL programs should be compiled with the following directives:    SQL(THREAD=ISOLATE)    REENTRANT(2)    and be using appartment threading. 2) OpenESQL uses dynamic and lock cursors by default.  For most applications this    is overkill.  Immediately after conneting they should execute:    exec sql set concurrency read only end-exec.    exec sql set scrolloption forward end-exec. 3) It is probably worth experimenting with connection pooling.  There are two    options:    SQL(CONNECTIONPOOL=DRIVER) or    SQL(CONNECTIONPOOL=ENVIRONMENT)    This may improve performance although experiments have had mixed results. Connection pooling can make a dramatic