Rocket® COBOL

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: the code pasted below compiles without any Problem with Net Express 3.1, generates errors 1309 == File related section or paragraph not allowed. ( Severe error ) with Net Express 4.0.... ====> compile errors: Micro Focus Net Express V4 Version 4.0.38 Copyright (C) 1984-2005 Micro Focus International Ltd. URN AXCGG/AA0/00000     43 INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION.   *> !!!!! *1309-S************                                                          ** **    File related section or paragraph not allowed.     46 FILE SECTION.           *> !!

Problem: When creating an XML file from a COBOL program, how would you prevent groups/items being output to the XML file?  This may be necessary when the items or groups hold no data at all. Resolution: Define the groups/items in the COBOL program with the COUNT IN clause, e.g. 03 Main IDENTIFIED BY "Main".      05 A PIC X(6) IDENTIFIED BY "A_TAG" COUNT IN A-CNT.      05 B PIC X(6) IDENTIFIED BY "B_TAG" COUNT IN B-CNT.           07 B-ATTR PIC X(6) IDENTIFIED BY "B1_A" IS ATTRIBUTE.           07 B-SUB PIC X(6) IDENTIFIED BY "B_SUB_TAG" COUNT IN B-SUB-CNT.           ... Moving 0 (zero) to the count variables wil stop the associated elements or groups being output to the XML file. Old KB# 54

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# 5425

Problem: Running a  Dialog System application with a Calendar control the following error may occur:      OLE returned an error H"800401F3", invalid class string. Resolution: This error indicates that the ActiveX control has not been registered in the operating system. Iit would appear that the Calendar control is supplied as part of Microsoft Office (MSCAL.OCX).  You will need to have installed Office on the machine. For more information see: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279098 Old KB# 5433

Problem: Use the same Net Express IDE settings you have on one machine on the other machines that have the same version of Net Express. This also can be a way to resolve a corrupted Net Express IDE settings. Resolution: 1. Go to Start > Run 2. REGEDIT<enter> 3. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\software\\Micro Focus\\Net Express\\4.0\\IDE 4. Make sure the IDE key is selected or has the focus on 5. Click on Registry > Export Registry File... from the menu 6. Specify a new name, which will have REG as extension 7. Click on the Save button 8. Take the REG file to the other machine 9. Make sure Net Express is not running 10. Double click on the REG file 11. Click on the Yes button to confirm that you wish to add the information in the REG file to the Windows registry Old KB# 5405

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# 5399

Problem: How can I create a Net Express command prompt? Resolution: Unfortunately there is no automatic way to install/setup the Net Express command prompt.  You will need to create a shortcut yourself with the following properties: Title : Net Express Command Prompt Target : C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe /K createnv.bat Start In : "c:\\Program Files\\Micro Focus\\Net Express\\Base\\BIN" You many need to amend the above to match your own installation details i.e. your Windows installation folder may not be called "Windows" and you may not have installed Net Express in the default location. The quotes on Start In are required due to the long and spacey filenames used. Old KB# 5718

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: 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" O

Problem: 'Verify Server Settings' returned this error.    Resolution: Norton Internet Security was enabled on the PC and did not for some reason report that it was blocking access to this IP.   When this was resolved, publishing worked OK. Old KB# 5435

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# 5418#RMCOBOL#COBOL#netexpress#ServerExpress#AcuCobol

Problem: When attempting to install Net Express .NET the Visual Studio.Net prerequisite CD asks you to insert cd-1 and then hangs. Resolution: Ensure that you have at least 128MB of RAM on the machine you are installing to. Old KB# 5441

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# 5421#RMCOBOL#netexpress#ServerExpress#COBOL#AcuCobol

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# 5449

Problem: When Net Express is uninstalled, choose to revoke the license but no revoke code was visible. Resolution: Search the machine for the file protrev.txt, this will contain the revoke key. Normally can be found in the Net Express\\base\\bin directory. (If using older version would have to have applied the clu08all fixpack) Old KB# 5417

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: When creating an Excel file from within COBOL.Net  the formatting on numeric cells is lost, see example :- 1) Tthe value 123.40 is in a cell, but when opened the file it shows 123.4 2) Also the same with 00100, it shows 100 Resolution: Set the number format on ths cells you require. The "NumberFormat" property on a Range object lets you do this. See the Microsoft doucmentation on this property for full details on what can be set. Some example code for this is:-       $set sourceformat(variable)        program-id. MSExcel.        environment division.        configuration section.        repository.     class cExcel as "Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.ApplicationClass"     class c

Problem: In the Cobol program below  the field 'db_email' is filled with the value '-1' and NOT 'Null.'   ...     working-storage section.          77 ws-value     pic S9(04) comp-5.     77 ws-name      pic x(10) value spaces.          procedure division.     ....     move 'robert' to ws-name     move 1        to ws-value     compute ws-value = ws-value * -1     exec sql             insert into table (db_name,db_email)                          &nb

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: 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# 5453

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# 5430

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# 5437

Problem: Release 4.0: We would like to include the actual wrap- and fix pack all05n40 into our silent installation, but we failed to add it to the wrapper.ini file in cinstall. Resolution: You can also start the installation of  service packs / fix packs / wrap packs / add pack silently by adding the parameter -q, so \\..>all05n40.exe -q will install the pack silently. From a batch file, it might be better to use start /wait all05n40.exe -q to stop the batch until the pack installation is finished. Old KB# 5719

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# 5414