Rocket® COBOL

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: 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: * 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: 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: 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: 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: Dsrun Error 19,0,0, what does this translate to? Resolution: A Dsrun error 19 means that an attempt has been made to use a ds-use-set call but the screenset-id in ds-set-name has not been found on the screenset stack. Alternatively, an attempt has been made to use a ds-use-instance-set call but the screenset-id and screenset instance specified in ds-set-name and ds-screenset-instance has not been found on the screenset stack. Old KB# 5260

Problem: In this case the program was printing and then falling through into a loop. The program was recently recompiled using a newer version of Net Express. Resolution: This problem occurred because there had been a new Net Express project created and the compiler directive PEFORM-TYPE"OSVS"  was omitted. After adding the missing directive the looping stopped and the program ran fine. Old KB# 5263

Problem: Program creates EBCDIC file on development system while it creates an ASCII file on Application Server system. Resolution: Link CS0437.OBJ to the program by adding CS0437.obj to the build settings of the .EXE file. Old KB# 5271

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: 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

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: Does Micro Focus COBOL have an option to omit columns 1-6? (used for sequence#s in punched card days) i.e. begin COBOL text in column 1 (vs column 7) Resolution: The Sourceformat compiler directive determines the source program record layout. There are two alternatives: Sorceformat"Fixed" (the default); Sourceformat"Free" The "Fixed" format is the traditional "punched card" layout. columns 1-6, sequence number' column 7, indicator area, comments (*), continuation (-), Debugging (D), compiler directives                            and conditional compilation ($) columns 8-11, Area A, Division, Section and paragraph names columns 12-72 Area B, procedural statements columns 73-80, identification field (ignored by the compiler) The "Free&quot

Problem: Customer is doing Proof of Concept getting T0055*2*Connection does not support HOLD cursors error Resolution: Go to the XDB ODBC Driver Data Source Configuration and check With Hold Package under Optional parameters and see if this resolves the problem. Old KB# 5312#netexpress#COBOL#ServerExpress#AcuCobol#RMCOBOL

Problem: A legacy code is added to a solution, and it is set as "Console Application" for the output type. The solution gets rebuild successfully, but a class is unable to call the "console" application. There is neither a warning or error. Resolution: When a program's output type is set as "Console Application," it will be built as an EXE. In other words, it cannot be called. The output type should then be set as "Class Library", so it can be built as a DLL. Old KB# 5284

Problem: How to begin reading from the last record of an indexed file, when the value of the key in that last record is unknown. Resolution: 1.  START file-name KEY is <= HIGH-VALUES.... 2.  READ PREVIOUS. Old KB# 5255#AcuCobol#netexpress#COBOL#ServerExpress#RMCOBOL

Problem: This is an example that will walk the user through the steps needed to take an EBCDIC mainframe sequential file and convert it to ASCII.  Follow each step carefully in the Resolution below to take the ASCII file and convert it back to EBCDIC. The example will also demonstrate how to create and use a Record Layout to be used with these files. Resolution: Convert mainframe EBCDIC file using  Tools ==> Data Tools ==> Convert to an ASCII file. Next, take ASCII file and convert it back to EBCDIC file. Files and project also will be attached to article Attachments: ascii_ebcdic_convert.doc Old KB# 5297

Problem: Unable to create a Net Express project on a Novel Netware drives (NWFS) but create successfully on Windows drives Resolution: Make sure the user has the network rights to use the Netware drive. The other possible cause of the problem is that the EXTFH environment variable is set, and it contains FILEMAXSIZE=8, which enables the 64-bit file addressing and allows to create files greater than 4GB. Net Express does not support 64-bit file addressing on Netware (NWFS) drives. If FILEMAXSIZE=8 is not set, Net Express will then use 32-bit file addressing and can create file up to 4GB on Netware drives. If you need to use FILEMAXSIZE=8 for other applications, you will have to set the EXTFH environment variable from each application level, not from system level. If it is set from the system level, Net Express will be affected as well. Old KB# 5285

Problem: Net Express 4.0 on Windows XP. Problems compiling source code which contains Japanese DBCS user-defined words. Resolution: To compile your programs successfully ensure that both your User and System Locale are set to Japanese on Windows XP. Old KB# 5265

Problem: Method to make PROJMAKE build the debug and/or release versions Resolution: Supply the parameters within quotes, for example:     projmake -buildall <name.app> "Generic Debug Build" or     projmake -buildall <name.app> "Generic Release Build" Old KB# 5294

Problem: If a migration is being done from a character user interface application from Workbench 4.0 to Net Express 4.0, the ADIS control keys must be enables to behave in Net Epress the same as they did in the Workbench application. Resolution: When using ADIS in the Workbench application, an ADISCTRL file which contains the saved settings is picked up by the application at run time. This file needs to be copied into the application folder in the Net Express environment to allow the same key settings to be re-implemented into the migrated application. Old KB# 5259

Problem: NetExpress releases 4.0 - 5.0 Overview of file handler parameters. Resolution: To get an overview of file handling, please refer to: Net Express  Help -> Help Topics -> Content -> Reference -> File Handling -> File Handler -> Configuration -> Configuration file parameters - Overview Old KB# 5307