Rocket® COBOL

Problem: running bat file (or commandline)- to run sort - results in sort124e - field position 201 invalid Resolution: If the record size is greater than 256, a RECORD instruction must be used. ex: Sample with the record parameter setting record of 300 bytes mfsort sort fields(1,1,ch,a) use x:\\directory\\xxx.dat record f,300 give file2.dat Old KB# 5372

Problem: You open a Net Express Command prompt and you enter the adiscf command to be able to configure adis behavior for screen i-o. But although you can see the menu bar at the bottom, you can not see any of the menu options in the main panel. Resolution: Adiscf was designed when the command prompt window had a fixed size and there were not any screen buffer. So to get it working properly, you need to reduce the screen buffer size to match the real window size. For example, if you wanted to configure adis to enable function keys, these are the steps that you would need to do: 1. Open a Net Express command prompt 2. At the command prompt window you need to reduce the Screen Buffer Size to match exactly the Window Size, or you will have problems with adiscf. Click on the top left corner and select properties. Then reduce the Screen Buffer Height to 25, that is the same value that you see in Window Size. Then click OK. If you select "Apply prop

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# 5368

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# 5349

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# 5370

Problem: Using Net Express 3.0, Cbllinik would produce this Link error. Version 3.0.14 Copyright (C) 1984-2000 MERANT International Ltd. Micro Focus Net Express V3 Version 3.0.14 Copyright (C) 1984-2000 MERANT International Ltd. URN AXCGG/AA0/00000 * Accepted - confirm * Accepted - list() * Accepted - xref * Accepted - OMF(OBJ) * Accepted - GNT(.\\) * Accepted - OBJ(.\\) * Compiling capdown.cbl * Generating cross reference * Checking complete with no errors - starting code generation * Generating capdown * Data:        1424     Code:        1424     Literals:         216 Microsoft (R) 32-Bit Incremental Linker Version 5.00.7022 Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp 1992-1997. All rights reserved. capdown.obj cbllds.obj faacicnt.lib : fatal error LNK1106: invalid file or disk full: cannot

Problem: MAPILogon returns 3 when used with the COBOL Multi Threaded runtime. It may work sometimes but if invokes are performed to any COM object before the MAPILogon call then you will always get a -3 returned. Resolution: You need to perform an:- invoke olesup "singleThread" so that the COBOL runtime initialized COM with CoInitializeEx(0,COINIT_APARTMENTTHREADED). If this call is not made then the runtime will initialize COM with CoInitializeEx(0,COINIT_MULTITHREADED). Microsoft's MAPI api is not compatible with COM initalized with COINIT_MULTITHREADED and has to be initialized with COINIT_APARTMENTTHREADED. Using the single threaded COBOL runtime also avoids this error. Old KB# 5343

Problem: RTS144 Boundary Violation occurs rewriting a Line Sequentia file opened I-O.... Resolution: Dont' forget that "You must make sure that the record you write is the same size as the one it replaces". If not, a RTS ( Runtime ) error 144 will occur..... This hint is clearly documented in the documentation, compiler directive REWRITE-LS . Paste of RTS error 144: COBRT144 Boundary violation (Recoverable) You have tried to write a record to a variable length record file, the length of which is not within the defined range for that file. Resolution: Recode your program. Old KB# 5344

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# 5358

Problem: How to specify which program you want to run first in a .NET project Resolution: 1)  Right click on the project in solution explorer 2)  Go to Properties 3)  Under Common Properties | General, fill in the Entry Name text box with the program you want to run first (do not include the extension) Old KB# 5341

Problem: * Copyright (C) 1984-2002 Micro Focus International Ltd. URN AXCGG/AA0/00000     72-'   <INPUT TYPE="Submit" NAME="Logon" value="Chang C:\\MF\\Net Express31\\Base\\WORKAREA\\TESTHTML.CBL(72,51): *   3-S Illegal format : Literal     73-'e Password" onClick="return NumericCheck(USERID)"></td></tr></TA C:\\MF\\Net Express31\\Base\\WORKAREA\\TESTHTML.CBL(73,9): *1003-E First character of a continued literal not a quote. Quote assumed. * Total Messages:     2 * Unrecoverable :     0                    Severe  :     1 * Errors        :     1      &nbsp

Problem: Method to determine if an object-reference is set to an object Resolution: The only way to do this is to initialise to null.  When it is non-null it is set to something else. Old KB# 5298

Problem: Working storage not being initialised between CALLs in a CICS environment. Resolution: The directives required to achieve this functionality are: CALL-RECOVERY DATA-CONTEXT Old KB# 5266

Problem: The system indicated 26 gig were available. Also, the install states 26 gigs were available The directory kept going to an Application Server directory with no browse button Resolution: Problem determination:  Application Server was installed on the same machine where Net Express also resides.  This is not permitted. Go to "Add/remove programs" and uninstall Application Server for Net Express 4.0 Restart the installation, and it should finish without errors. Old KB# 5293#ServerExpress#AcuCobol#COBOL#netexpress#RMCOBOL

Problem: Receiving message "ASLM Semaphore failure" when trying to run an application deployed using Net Express 4.0 Application Server when logged in with standard user priviliages. Resolution: This is actually a known issue when installing from the base release (or first release) of the Net Express Application Server. This version had a problem with setting the registry privileges correctly. This has been fixed.  Simply update the current version of Application Server using the latest build on the Micro Focus SupportLine web site: http://supportline.microfocus.com/websync/aps40.asp - (as of 6th September 2005) the file to be  downloaded and applied is APS06A40.EXE. This will install the latest build of the Application Server and allow users to run applications when logged in with standard user privilages. Old KB# 5309

Problem: How to pass a linker option like /DELAYLOAD through CBLLINK? Resolution: Unfortunately, CBLLINK cannot pass options to Microsoft's LINK.EXE. The alternative is to specify options for the Microsoft linker LINK.EXE as an environment variable, e.g. set LINK=/DELAYLOAD:MyDLL.dll Microsoft's Linker options can be found here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/vccore/html/_core_linker_reference.asp and how to set those options here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/vccore/html/_core_set_linker_options.asp Old KB# 5270

Problem: Which versions of Net Express are supported on Windows XP? Resolution: Only Net Express 4.0 with WrapPack 4.0.004 (all04n40.exe) or higher has been tested and is supported on Windows XP with SP2. Net Express 4.0 and Net Express 3.1 with SP1 have been tested and are supported on Windows XP with/without SP1. None of the previous versions (3.1 without SP1, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0) of Net Express has been tested, and therefore none of them is supported on Windows XP. Old KB# 5268

Problem: When using the the cobol command line to compile programs within a batch file (for example: cobol sourcename,,nul,,directives;) - the user will observe that when a copyfile for this source does not exist, the compiler requests: FILE BELOW NOT FOUND - Stop/Retry/Continue/Alter-path and starts waiting for keyboard response, the entire build batch stops because of this and operator intervention is necessary. Resolution: To change the behaviour of the cobol command line so it only reports the missing copyfile, and continues without intervention all that is required is to add the directive NOQUERY to the command line, thusly:       cobol sourcename,,nul,,NOQUERY directives; Old KB# 5290

Problem: Method to suppress the DOS window showing on an x"91" function 35 Resolution: Unfortunately there is no method to suppress the command window being displayed when executing an x"91" function 35.  An alternative solution is to use: 1) Using the CBL_EXEC_RUN_UNIT API instead. 2) Calling the operating system CreateProcess API. Old KB# 5317

Problem: How to use a self declared type within the File Section?        FD  EIN.         01  EIN-SATZ.             05  Testdate PblType-Dat.              05  filler    pic x.        working-storage section.         01 PblType-Dat         is typedef pic  9(08). Resolution: Use a prototype for your program: program-id. tst is PROTOTYPE. working-storage section.     01 PblType-Dat         is typedef pic  9(08). end program tst. program-id.tst. ... FS EIN. 01  EIN-SATZ.  &

Problem: Should  a Net Express 3.1 module be able to call a Net Express 4.0 module? Resolution: Net Express does not support calls involving programs compiled under different versions. When upgrading all programs should be recompiled. Old KB# 5264

Problem: From the Installation Options screen, the IDE option is already checked and greyed out. It is not then possible to change the directory where to install Net Express. Resolution: This would imply either Net Express is already installed on the machine or a previous uninstall of Net Express was not properly completed. If Net Express is already installed: 1. uninstall Net Express 2. make sure to retain the license 3. install Net Express 4. change the default directory for IDE to a new directory If Net Express is not installed: 1. go to Start > Run 2. regedit<enter> 3. go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Micro Focus\\ 4. delete the Net Express key (or subfolder if you prefer) 5. go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Micro Focus\\ 6. delete the Net Express key (or subfolder if you prefer) 7. start the Net Express install again Note: the steps #3 through #6 can be combined in 2 steps ***IF*** there is no other Micro Focus products instal

Problem: Method to shut down fileshare via a command file (without GUI interface) Resolution: Some new commands line commands have been added for FSVIEW with Net Express 4.0. If a password file has not been created or no password has been added for FSVIEW that needs to be done as FSVIEW is the admin user for Fileshare. FS /pf password.dat /u FSVIEW /pw FSVIEW Fileshare must be using the password file FS /s FSTEST /pf password.dat First test that this will works on a test machine. FSVIEW Server set the_server_name Admin password the_admin_password Server shutdown Exit If this works, take the commands after FSVIEW and place them in a control file (any name is fine;  e.g.,  "your_control_file") Retest by entering the following:  FSVIEW @your_control_file Old KB# 5311

Problem: The "Click here to install Net Express with .NET" link from the main install page does not bring up the next page. It seems as it was unable to load IWIZ01.HTM from the CD-ROM's \\autorun\\html folder. Resolution: 1. Open Windows Explorer 2. Open \\AUTORUN\\HTML from CD-ROM drive 3. Double-click on IWIZ01.HTM The above steps would allow to resume with the rest of the steps to install Net Express with .NET. The problem seems to have occurred only with a web browser (e.g. Mozilla Firefox) that was not Internet Explorer. Old KB# 5269

Problem: DISPLAY SPACE ... WITH ERASE EOL actually erases everything from its location to the end of screen, exactly the same behavior as using WITH ERASE EOS. Resolution: This is not a bug. Look at the "DISPLAY statement" topic in the documentations, and you will be able to see the following note under Format 3 in clause #21: "If the literal-1 is one of the following figurative constants it has a special effect as follows: SPACE clears from the specified cursor position to the end of the screen;" [...]" If you look at the documentations, you will note the MF at the beginning of the clause. That is, the feature is an extension to ANSI 85 that is specific to Micro Focus COBOL. This also means that DISPLAY SPACE ... WITH ERASE EOL may in fact erase to the end of line in some other compilers. You have then 3 alternatives to erase to the end of line: replace the figurative constant SPACE with " ", or replace the f