Rocket® COBOL

Problem: You may have a character based screen application that you want to run inder Windows as a full screen display. However, when you run it the screen display may be much smaller than required and you may want to extend the screen to be a full screen making the screen a 25 lines by 80 column screen. Resolution: COBOL doesn't set a 25x80 screen as default for console based applications. Instead, the screen characteristics are set by Windows. When you originally developed your app, 25x80 was probably the standard screen size, although there were some exceptions where 43 and 50 line screens were used. (These subsequently led to the intorduction of the C4 and C5 runtime switches). The only way to get a full screen is by clicking the top left corner of the application screen and selecting 'Properties'. One of the options then available is 'Full Screen'. However this only expands the display to cover the full screen and does not necess

Problem: Problem with websphere deploying application gets error Resolution: Added MFCobol.jar in the PATH.  Now Websphere will report successful application deployment. Old KB# 5732

Problem: The cookie.js file was correctly deployed to the web server but the cookie used on the page was being passed between the browser and server. Resolution: This issue was caused by the Virus checker that was installed on the webserver machine. The virus checker was preventing the javascript from functioning correctly. Old KB# 5766

Problem: Release 4.0: Creating and maintaining toolbars in Net Express, Dialog system is preferred. Where to find examples and tips? Resolution: (1)  A demo can be found in the Net Express product installation itself: ..\\DialogSystem\\Demo\\Commoncontrols\\Toolbar (2)  Additional, there is a programming tutorial "Adding and Customizing a Menu Bar and Toolbar". It can be found here: Net Express -> Help -> Help Topics -> Content -> Programming -> Dialog System -> Dialog System Guide -> Part 3 Programming Tutorials -> Chapter 21 Old KB# 5779

Problem: Is there any set of specific directives recommend whent converting from mainframe COBOL370 programs to Microfocus COBOL Net Express? Resolution: The list of directives should match the mainframe compiler version currently being used. Micro Focus creates a standard for that Dialect, but that does not mean it will match the specific environment completely. Look at Net Express Help > Start Here, Migration Cookbook, Chapter 6 Directives and Dialects for the directives associated with each Dialect. Obtain the list of directives that are used when compiling on the mainframe and match them to one of the dialects and then add/remove additional directives as needed. There is no list other than using the DIALECT(XXX) directive where XXX indicates a specific dialect. There are simply too many combinations of language elements that would enable a simple list of directives to work in all cases. This being understood the only generic list would be that provid

Problem: How to uninstall Net Express 4.0's All WebSync WrapPack? Resolution: To uninstall the Net Express 4.0's All WebSync WrapPack, you just need to follow the steps below: 1. Go to "Add/Remove Programs" 2. Select "Micro Focus Net Express 4.0" from the list 3. Click on the Remove button 4. Check the "All WebSync WrapPack" option 5. Click on the Uninstall button As results, Net Express will be back at its original version. That is, it is without any patches at all. If you want to apply any previous version of WrapPack, you can download them from the Micro Focus SupportLine site at http://supportline.microfocus.com. There is a link for "Net Express 4.0 All WebSync WrapPack Archive" from the "Net Express 4.0, Net Express with .NET and Mainframe Transaction Option" download page However, we highly recommend to apply the latest WrapPack. If you experience any problems with the latest WrapPa

Problem: Are there any further documentations on how to use INCLUDE or OMIT control statements in MFSORT? Resolution: Here is the description of the INCLUDE/OMIT control statements in the Net Express Help: ----------------------------------------- INCLUDE/OMIT Specifies conditions in which records will be included or omitted from the sort process. For details, see the IBM documentation to be found at Using DFSORT Program Control Statements. INCLUDE and OMIT are mutually exclusive. ----------------------------------------- You will note there is a link (http://www.microfocus.com/docs/links.asp?nx=dfs2) for details on how to use them. If you click on the link, it will take you to the documentations on DFSORT Program control statements. You will find from that site all the details about how to use INCLUDE/OMIT control statements. Old KB# 5733#AcuCobol#ServerExpress#COBOL#RMCOBOL#netexpress

Problem: How can access the Vtable from a COM DLL? The VTable is the low level interface  that a COM Object Object exposes. Its structure is similiar to a C Object. Resolution: If you already have a COBOL OLE Domain object you could use the COM Class library IUnknown "fromDomainObject" class method and QueryInterface to get the COM Interface (vtable) you want. Alternatively you could CoCreateInstance and QueryInterface COM API calls. If possible its far better to use a automation object so you can invoke on it. Thats far more forgiving and simpler from COBOL. Old KB# 5727

Problem:   Is Visual Studio 2005 supported in Net Express 4.0? Resolution: Currently the Net Express 4.0 product works with Visual Studio 2003. The Net Express  5.0 version works with VS 2005. Old KB# 5768

Problem: Ther screenset uses the Datepicker component and the screenset needs to be informed back of any update which occured in the component comment below used with the demo delivered in Netx: [Net Express]\\DialogSystem\\DEMO\\COMMONCONTROLS\\DATETIME Resolution: 1) set a CALLBACK on the p2ce-losefocus event           MOVE '"' & ProgramID & z'p2ce-losefocus"' TO MessageName           INVOKE EntryCallBack "new" USING MessageName                                  RETURNING aCallback           MOVE p2ce-losefocus TO i           INVOKE aDatePicker "Set

Problem: Net Express 4.0: SWITCH-0, SWITCH-1, SWITCH-2,..,SWITCH-8  are coded in the SPECIAL-NAMES paragraph of the CONFIGURATION SECTION of a COBOL program. The program tests to see which switches are ON and behaves accordingly. The program is built as an .int or .gnt. How would you set there statuses from the Net Express command prompt, so that they are passed as parameters when the program is 'run'? Resolution: The status of the switches are set and passed to the program, at the time of program execution from the command prompt, with the following command: run ( 0 1 2) Program This sets the programmable switches SWITCH-0, SWITCH-1 and SWITCH-2 to ON and passes these settings to the program "Program", built as an .int or .gnt. Old KB# 5737

Problem: How do you apply XP Theming to a Dialog based application? Resolution: The XP Appearance is controlled by the Operating System and needs to be enabled for an application. The simplest way to do this is to have a manifest file in the same directory as the application. This is a file that matches the exe name with a .manifest extension. The customer.zip attached is an example of this method. You need to look in the release directory for the file. The other approach is to build the Manifest into a resource in the EXE. The other attachment is an example of this approach. Edit the RC as text to see what is required. These apps can also be run on pre-xp systems. The manifest ensure that that XP Theming controls library is loaded and used by the operating syste. We would recommend that the customers test their apps with theming applied so ensure that visually they look ok. Attachments: customer.zip Old KB# 5740

Problem: What is the return code of the projmake utility when a project fails to build or open? Resolution: The prokmake utility sets return-code = 1 for any error found.   You cannot specify a return-code for each type of error. Old KB# 5760

Problem: Cobol calling JAVA first call Resolution: Add the JAVA\\BIN\\classic or client directory that contains jvm.dll to the PATH environment Old KB# 5788

Problem: This error: "The program ... has been modified since the last compile. This may lead to unpredictable results when browsing and animating." is produced after a compile of the program. Resolution: the "$" should be in card column 7.      1          $set sql(dbman=odbc)      2        ****************************** Like this:      1        $set sql(dbman=odbc)      2        ****************************** Old KB# 5772

Problem: Is Dialog System dsbrowse included in Application Server runtime environment Resolution: DSBROWSE.gnt in included in our application server (version 4.0). The location of the Application Server directory may need to be on the COBDIR directory. The gnt format modules are located via the COBDIR environment variable. Alternatively you could link dsbrowse.obj into the main application exe. Old KB# 5744

Problem: Enabling a cobol program to recognize a printer plugged into a usb port Resolution:   The way to print via a USB-port and not the 'normal' LPT1/2 etc is to use the printer_redirection run-time tuneable. This redirects output on a file defined as ASSIGN TO PRINTER to whatever your default printer is. So, if that is connected via USB it should work. The printer_redirection tuneable causes ASSIGN TO PRINTER statements to go to the print spooler rather than LPTn. Therefore, provided the printer attached to the USB has been installed properly there should be no problem printing to it. There is no way to access ports directly in our product because the operating system APIs used for file handling do not handle USB port names. The printer_redirection mechanism is the only way that accessing a printer connected via USB can be done. To set the printer_redirection runtime tuneable you need to create a runtime configuration file and

Problem: The system has a limit of 100 GDI objects (brushes, colours, fonts, etc.), and this limit can be reached when the same GDI object (e.g. font) is being created repeatedly, leading to the error message "Cannot map any more GDI objects - Internal Limit Reached" Resolution: If you are working with List View, and this error is occurring. This may have been a result of creating the font object over and over. The problem appears to be with the wmgadgetnotify method in the control program. It is actually creating a new font for every prepaint message. You will need to make a small change in the SetFont method of the ...LVIEWITEM.CBL program. You will note there is only one single statement in that method, which is      invoke lnkfont "deepcopy" returning itemfont Please comment that statement out, and add instead:      move lnkfont to itemfont Old KB# 5789

Problem: Method to open a large data file with Net Express to view the contents. Resolution: Have the following section setup in the extfh.cfg file: [XFH-DEFAULT] FILEMAXSIZE=8 Where the FILEMAXSIZE parameter specifies the number of bytes used internally to store file offsets. This also affects internal locking mechanisms: programs sharing the same file all need to use the same FILEMAXSIZE settings to ensure semaphores and record locks are handled correctly, thereby avoiding potential file corruption in shared files. FILEMAXSIZE={4|8} Default: 4 4 Limits file addressibility to 32 bit values which is compatible with earlier versions of Micro Focus products. 8    Allows up to 64 bit values for file addressing on Windows NT platforms when accessing the NTFS file system, but changes the underlying record locking mechanism. Therefore, if you are sharing very large files, that is files greater than 1Gb in size, all programs

Problem: When we try to run our application on the Net Express development machine we get the following error: ASLM: Semaphore failure. ASLM: Errno 1000 Why is this? Resolution: This indicates that the Net Express runtime license cannot be found.  On the development machine please ensure that your application is linked with the dynamic option and/or that PATH/COBDIR are set to point to the location of Net Express. Old KB# 5720

Problem: A standard user is trying to invoke Net Express. Resolution: The user requires full access to the installation path, the demos, and the Micro Focus registry structure. Old KB# 5787

Problem: I want to create a new environment variable in the registry from within a program - how can I do this? Resolution: There is an example of how to do this on the SupportLine website -  look for the cobreg program on the sample programs page. Old KB# 5751

Problem: While using a Net Windows Forms application how can you ensure when you tab into a Multi Line Entry field that no text is already selected? Resolution: In order to do this you need to add a Gained Focus event handler on the control you need to bevhave in this way and add the following lines:- set self::"textBox1"::"SelectionStart" to 0 set self::"textBox1"::"SelectionLength" to 0 On entry to this field the above code will ensure that no text is selected. Old KB# 5783

Problem: Net Express 4.0 How can you stop the run-time from checking if numeric data items have valid numeric data and stop the warning message "numeric field contains invalid data" Resolution: By default this checking is always ON, but you can override this by turning off the 'F run-time switch': - At the Net Express command prompt - set cobsw=-F; or - In the IDE, from the menu - 'Project' > 'Properties...'. Click on the 'Application...' in the Project Properties dialog and go to the 'Program Execution' tab. Under 'Error Handling', uncheck the checkbox for 'Validate numeric fields'. Old KB# 5739

Problem: You may see this error message reported when using Net Express Application Server when attempting to execute a deployed application. The problem is that error gives in some customers and in others no. The environment is the same for all customers.      Could you help us to solve this problem, please? Regards, Resolution: The most common reason you would see this message is because you are attempting to run an application that has been built using the Net Express 4.0 runtime on a machine that only has the Net Express 3.1 run time installed. Because the Net Express 4.0 runtime cannot be found on the machine the error is produced. So the solution would be to either install the Net Express 4.0 runtime onto the client machine(s) or if possible to rebuild the application in Net Express 3.1 which will then use the Net Express 3.1 runtime available on the machine. Old KB# 5784