Rocket® COBOL

Problem: Why do I get an 47,01 error on an OPEN OUTPUT, and there are no READS? Resolution: Check to see if there is an UNLOCK in the statement. UNLOCK is not allowed in an OPEN OUTPUT. Old KB# 6115

Problem: Working with IUnknown pointers in an OLESafeArray. If you have an instance of OLESafeArray which contains the OLE type (determined by invoking "getVarType" on the safe array object) VT-UNKNOWN (value 13 in olesafea.cpy copy file), you can use the OLESafeArray "getElement" method to retrieve the pointer value. You can then use the pointer value as a parameter to the olesup "getCOBOLObject" method to return an object reference which you can then work with. Resolution: Working with IUnknown pointers in an OLESafeArray. If you have an instance of OLESafeArray which contains the OLE type (determined by invoking "getVarType" on the safe array object) VT-UNKNOWN (value 13 in olesafea.cpy copy file), you can use the OLESafeArray "getElement" method to retrieve the pointer value. You can then use the pointer value as a parameter to the olesup "getCOBOLObject" method to return an object reference which y

Problem: What does C$OSLockInfo Subprogram do? Resolution: C$OSLockInfo returns the PID of the process that has the record locked when a lock request fails. It should be called immediately after a lock request fails. This subprogram is available only under UNIX; there is no Windows equivalent. Calling Sequence: CALL "C$OSLockinfo" USING processid processid is a four-byte, unsigned COMP-4 numeric item.      Old KB# 6123

Problem: Can symbolic characters be used in an unstring command? Resolution: Yes. See the UNSYMBOL.CBL example program attached. Attachments: UNSYMBOL.CBL Old KB# 6111

Problem: Failed attempt at using Project Manager locked my project. How can I unlock them to use outside of Project Manager? Resolution: Solution without project manangement. Notes: You don't have to actually use the Master Repository at all. Assuming your ELRepository is locked Create a new DNS (mdb)     Administration-> Repository -> Add new DNS -> *.mdb     change the Data Source Name to ELRepositorynew     Choose a new mdb file in a new location Initialize     Administration -> Repository -> schema -> ELRepositorynew -> initialize            Migrate     Administration -> Projects -> migrate projects ->        sources is ELRepository  -> choose your project        destination is

Problem: A user cannot save a new page in Builder. Resolution: Seems that the memory that EnterpriseLink Builder was trying to access to save the page was unavailable.  Once the user was able to reboot his machine and open Builder and then try to save the page, it worked. Old KB# 5907#EnterpriseLink#Rumba

Problem: Moved from test to production server - now when client tries to start application it goes right to the ssdisconnect screen Resolution: If you are receiving an immediate ssdissconnect, it usually means it is not reaching the host designated in the project settings. Now that you have moved from test to production - check to see if the host name or IP number is correct - also very important the PORT number -  in the admin\\project  - edit project (application) in question Old KB# 5903#EnterpriseLink#Rumba

Problem: If COBDIR is defined with the correct values, as an environment variable for the Windows system, there are no compilation errors. When it is removed from the environment variables in the Windows system and defined with the same values in the Project Properties in Net Express IDE, compilation errors are seen: ASLM: Semaphore failure. ASLM: Errno 1002 Rebuild complete with errors Resolution: The COBDIR environment variable lists the paths of the COBOL system directories where INT, GNT, LBR, DLL and EXE files, which are used by an application, occur.  Setting this in the IDE, will cause the COBOL runtime to look only in the path specified.  You should set the COBDIR environment variable in the Windows System.  If you do set the COBDIR environment variable in the IDE, you will have to prefix your path with '%COBDIR%;' to ensure the application finds the run-time files needed, for example: Variable - COBDIR

Problem: Ported project from another machine to a different test machine. Trying to start animation from project. Resolution: One scenario for this error is as follows: The build settings for the EXE were sent to another directory other than the debug folder - **this was found by highlighting the EXE on the left hand side and doing a right hand click and choosing build settings -- the "file on disk" option had been changed to send the EXE to a different location other than the default "debug" or "release" folder. Trying to start animation from the top which was pointing to the debug folder if you hits browse and goes to where the exe is located it starts the easier method is to just highlight the exe on the left hand side and do a right hand click and choose animate Old KB# 5794

Problem: Das Modify Data Tag (MDT) soll als Eigenschaft eines Feldes im Editor gesetzt werden. Kann üblicherweise bereits für ein BMS Feld eingestellt werden, nicht erst im SEND MAP Aufruf. Wo ist der Schalter im Net Express BMS Editor ? Resolution: Das MDT Bit wird  durch den Schalter FSET in den Feldattributen gesetzt (Field Properties / General). Old KB# 5790

Problem: Animating .EXE and .DLL Debug Build Programs that are located in multiple Project folders: Resolution: Animating .EXE and .DLL Debug Build programs located in multiple Project folders. The directory structure for this example is as follows: C:\\Animation\\ApplicationTrigger             \\DynamicLibrary1             \\DynamicLibrary2 The ApplicationTrigger folder contains the project for the main program, AP470T01.EXE. The DynamicLibrary1 folder contains the project for the AP470D01.DLL and the DynamicLibrary2 folder contains the project for the AP470D02.DLL. The AP470D01.DLL file contains two sub programs, AP470S01 and AP470S02, which are called by the main program AP470T01.EXE. The  AP470D02.DLL file also contains two sub programs, AP470S03 and AP470S04, which are called by the sub programs in AP470D01.DLL. T

Problem: Release 4.0: Using the XML GENERATE statement from IBM mainframe COBOL in Net Express. Resolution: Use Net Express 4.0 with the WrapPack all06n40 or later. Old KB# 5806

Problem: Is there a pause, sleep, or wait command in RM/Cobol? Resolution: C$Delay is used to relinquish the CPU for a length of time specified in seconds. Calling C$Delay will allow other programs to run while the original program waits. The amount of delay is not exact. It depends upon the particular machine configuration and the load on the machine. Calling Sequence: CALL "C$Delay" USING seconds "seconds" is a PICTURE 9(n) BINARY, where n can be a digit from 1 to 9. It specifies the length of time, in seconds, to delay. Delays longer than one day are not normally meaningful and should not be used.      Old KB# 6122

Problem: When this statement is run        DISPLAY "TEST" WITH BLINK AT 0101. there is a gray colour back ground - is the a limitation? Resolution: Unfortunately, BLINK is not a supported capability under Windows Old KB# 5825

Problem:   If the sub-program is called:        CALL "subprog" USING OMITTED OMITTED WS-VAR-3. The following error occurrs: Execution error : file 'subprog.int' error code: 203, pc=225, call=1, seg=0 203     CALL parameter not supplied How do I validate which parameter is omitted to avoid this error? Resolution: The 203 error is correct as you need to test for the presence of each parameter before attempting to modify it in the sub-program. This is done with the following code:       if <variable-name> is not omitted           move ... and so on. Old KB# 5818

Problem: Message when running deployed application: "Unable to find COBOL run time" even though Application Server has been installed onto the deployment machine and the PATH and COBDIR environment variables are pointing to the Application Server installation folder. Resolution: If you are deploying EXE's or DLL's it is worthwhile checking to see whether they are built to use Dynamic Binding - as this forces the application to search for the COBOL runtime using the path's set in the Windows registry. If you build them and deploy them to not use Dynamic Binding the the application will look for the COBOL run time using the location set using the PATH and COBDIR  environment variables. Old KB# 5799

Problem: With the CBLLINK command, an EXE (or DLL) can be linked with the dynamically bound shared runtime library using the -rs option. Resolution: From the Net Express IDE, you can link an EXE (or DLL) with the dynamically bound shared runtime library as follows: 1. Right-click on the EXE from the project tree, the left pane of the IDE 2. Select Build Settings 3. Click on the Link tab 4. Make sure Shared is selected 5. Click on the check box for Dynamic 6. Click on the Close button 7. Rebuid the EXE Old KB# 5816

Problem: Data entry field should display as blank until a new value is keyed into field. Resolution: This is an ADIS configuration option that can be set up with ADISCF and saved in a modified ADISCTRL file. Since you are migrating from an older version of Micro Focs COBOL to the current version, search the system where the older version is installed for an ADISCTRL file and copy it to the new system. The ADISCTRL file should be in the folder where the application programs are executing.                                                                                 

Problem: Changing the current date to test in a project. Resolution: Open the project where you want the date changed.  Go to the Project/properties tab.  Select Application under Environment.  Next choose the Testing tab - here you can change the Year, Month and or day. Old KB# 5797

Problem: 1.  Program A calls program B. 2.  Program B opens a file, then returns control to program A. 3.  Program A calls program B again. 4.  Program B accesses the file, assuming it is still open from program A's prior call.  This causes an immediate "47" I/O declarative error. Apparently, working-storage variables in program B held state from the previous call but the FILE OPEN state did not - the file has reverted to a closed status without ever being explicitly closed.  Again this behavior is different from my 3.0 system.   Is this also a compiler directive or runtime setup issue? Resolution: The sub program was using  EXIT PROGRAM to return to the calling program which using RM directive will close all open files. Adding "ANSI" to the RM directive will allow the EXIT PROGRAM to keep files open. RM"ANSI" Old KB# 5814#AcuCobol#RMCOBOL#netex

Problem: In Form Designer, there is a blank space above the form, which is a gridded box. How to remove this blank space? Resolution: Make sure FORM is the very first item in BODY. To do this, you will need to look at the Form Designer's tree view and delete any items that are above FORM in the BODY structure. There could be a Heading or Paragraph that is above FORM. Just right-click on it and click on Delete. Old KB# 5826

Problem: A VB application needs to run a COBOL console application in the .NET environment.  Pressing a button on a VB form is required to startup a COBOL Console exe that will accept and display. Resolution: One way would be to have a COBOL COM object (a dll) as a proxy between the VB application and the COBOL Console application.  This is the documented method and is the recommended route to take when passing arguments or values between the two languages. Please refer to the documentation on COM in the Getting Started and Distributed Computing books. Please note that you cannot accept and display from a COBOL dll. On the otherhand, you can run a COBOL Console exe directly from the VB with the following statement in the VB code: System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("the COBOL Console exe file") Old KB# 5822

Problem: Is there  a way to delete screens/pages from the repository without having to delete them one by one in Builder ? Resolution: We now provide 2 utilities (batch files) to delete screens and pages. Documentation for command-line batch files to Delete Screens and/or Delete Pages has been added to the EL Wiki in www.enterpriselink.com -> Authors.    Once inside EL Wiki, do a search on "Delete Pages" or "Delete Screens".   Detailed information including the batch files themselves and their operation is given.   Please pay careful attention to the "Note" at the bottom of each entry. For Deleting Screens, the file, DeleteScreens.bat should be executed. It requires two parameters with an optional third parameter. The first parameter is the project-name.   The second parameter is either 1)  the name of a file containing a list of screens (one per line) to be del

Problem: Why is my data not stored as a numeric? Resolution: If you have a group item, all members of the group are treated as alphanumeric, even those defined as a numeric field. For more information, see the Language Reference Manual, under Data Structures.      Old KB# 6120

Problem: How do I do string manipulation in Cobol? Resolution: To move selected characters from one alphanumeric field to another, try using reference modification. For example, to get the 2nd through 4th characters of a PIC X(5) field into a PIC X(3) use the following: MOVE FIELD1(2:3) TO FIELD2. If FIELD1 contained 'ABCDE', this statement would put BCD in FIELD2.      Old KB# 6116