Rocket® COBOL

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: MFSORT returns 9/007 when sorting large (filemaxsize=8) file The TEMP and TMP environment variables are set to C:\\TEMP Resolution: The 'C' drive was not an NTFS drive. Creating a TEMP folder on an NTFS drive and revising the User environment variables for TEMP and TMP to the NTFSdrive:\\TEMP solved the problem. Note: Sorting a "large" file, MFSORT will be writing files to TMP and or TEMP paths that will require an amount of disk space equal to the size of the file being sorted. Sort files may also be very large as well. Therefore, TEMP and TMP must point to an NTFS drive where there is significant disk space available. Old KB# 5272#AcuCobol#COBOL#ServerExpress#RMCOBOL#netexpress

Problem: CALL 'CBL_DEBUGBREAK' to animate a program vs. via Net Express command-line with COBSW= A or COBSW= a Resolution: The preferred way to debug programs under Net Express is to start via CALL 'CBL_DEBUGBREAK', whereas COBSW= A also COBSW= a are out of use, therefore not documented. COBSW= A was included within older 16bit/32bit Micro Focus products (e.g. Workbench), and it is not intended to use this under Net Express. Old KB# 5267

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: Error when attempting to silently install the Net Express product. In the log file from the install the following error is displayed: Error:  Invalid silent script file, unable to start unattended install. when using a script that was previously recorded. Resolution: This can be caused by the ordering of some parameters in the install command. Run the install with a command using the following syntax: setup.exe /INI=C:\\mynetx.ini /LOGFILE=C:\\nxsetup.log /NO_SILENT_REPORT /SILENT=C:\\mynetx.sss This should produce the desired result. Old KB# 5291

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: 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: Release 4.0: Setting the compiler directive PERFORM-TYPE"ENTCOBOL" to ensure that programs have the best compatibility with the mainframe COBOL dialect. Since doing so, the user cannot do a RUN RETURN in the animator to step out of a performed paragraph or section. Resolution: This is the expected behaviour. Setting a mainframe dialect for PERFORM-TYPE has an implementation, where the appropriate information to determine the correct return point is not available. The PERFORM-statement behaves different from the default to the PERFORM-TYPE setting to mainframe compatibility (or RM).        a.     perform b through d.                display "a1".                goback.         

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: Customer was attempting to do a PInvoke function call from a C# ASP.NET code-behind program to an unmanaged COBOL .DLL created with Net Express 3.1 preSP1. Customer compiled the application using REENTRANT"2" but the application also uses embedded SQL Server ODBC statements and the SQL(Thread=Isolate) was not supported in 3.1 pre SP1. Customer could successfully run the ASP.NET application and call the unmanaged COBOL .DLL if only one user was running the application. When they added multiple users making simultaneous requests for the Web application the Platform Invoke call started to fail and one client's working-storage would end up in another client's program. Pgm1: 3rd party C# .NET? multithreaded exe calls/passes data Pgm2: COBOL dll calls/passes data Pgm3: COBOL dll Resolution: The following information is in regards to your attempts to create a C# based ASP.NET application which uses Platform Invoke to call an unmanaged

Problem: compiler directive set:        $set p(prexml) o(basic.pp) ENDp        $set ilpinvoke(cblxmls.dll) sum-up compiler directive ILPINVOKE ( extracted from MF .NET doc): Makes the specified unmanaged code available, so that the entry points in the unmanaged code are available to the program being compiled. See the Visual Studio Help topic Calling Unmanaged Code from COBOL Using Platform Invoke Services for more information. Syntax: >>-.----.--ILPINVOKE--"unmanaged-dll"------><     -NO- Parameters: unmanaged-dll The name of the .dll containing the unmanaged code that is required Properties: Default: NOILPINVOKE IDE equivalent: Add a reference to the unmanaged .dll to the References folder of the solution Resolution: Instead of        $set ilpinvoke(cblxmls.dll) use    &

Problem: When running a program and calling the CBL_DELETE_FILE-routine, files being write-protected are not deleted. How to change the file attributes for those files with a CBL-routine without using a DOS box? Resolution: Windows API functions can be used to unset the read-only attribute of files.        copy Windows.cpy.        program-id. main.        special-names.            call-convention 66 is WinApi.        working-storage section.        01 Attrib           DWORD.        01 ReadOnlyOff-Mask DWORD.        01 B-RetVal         BOOL.   &nbsp

Problem: How to write all the console output (including errors) from a batch program to a text file? Resolution: 1) You will need to compile your programs with the CHARACTER option rather    than GRAPHICAL.  This ensures that any errors are display as plain text    rather than in a Windows message box. 2) You will need to set the following runtime switches:    set cobsw=-I2 S5 3) You then run your program with redirection:    paddy01.exe > x.txt For example, the following program:        procedure division.            display "Before CALL...".            call "fred".            display "After CALL...".       

Problem: Method to trap COM Errors without the black console box popping up Resolution: Code/logic a registered COM Exception Handler: The exception handler does not automatically terminate but allows users to determine the best action. In many cases this would be to terminate (ie STOP RUN). However, users can decide on the correct course of action for themselves. An Example of this is:-       $set ooctrl( P)        program-id. ADSIDemo.       ******************************************************************       *       *    Author  - David Sands (Micro Focus Technical Support)       *       *    Date    - December 2003       *  &n

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: Installing Net Expresss and getting an error stating Application Server is already installed. Resolution: This sounds like an intermittent issue with the Net Express 4.0 installation.   The following steps should be followed: 1) Using REGEDIT, rename:    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall    to    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall-temp 2) Start the Net Express setup. 3) At the setup welcome screen, rename the above key back to Uninstall. 4) Continue with the installation. Old KB# 5262

Problem: To use the GUI Class Library ListView object within a Dialog System screen, and to set focus on a specific ListView Item and give it the focus, users should first put the focus on the ListView itself by calling "SetInputFocus". Then they can set focus on the ListViewItem. The following code assumes that aListView is an object reference representing the ListView itself and aListViewItem is an object reference representing the particular item for users to select and set focus on. This code would be placed in the appropriate area of the control program for the ListView: INVOKE aListView "SetInputFocus" INVOKE aListViewItem "setSelectedWithFocus" If you do not invoke "SetInputFocus" on the listview first, then the  listview item may appeard gray because it was selected, but does not have focus. Resolution: In order to use the GUI Class Library ListView object within a Dialog System screen, and to set focus

Problem: Existing project - source has been moved, but there is a requirment to change the project location Resolution: First when building a Net Express project - the suggested way is to copy any source being used to the local directory. If this has not been done and the project now points to a particular directory other than the project directory,  and the source has now been moved to a different directory The only way to correct the project settings is to remove the source from the project and read it to the project from the new directory. Note:  Net Express is UNLIKE Mainframe Express project where the location can be changed without removing and reading. Old KB# 5288

Problem: Method to create line sequential files without stripping off spaces at the end of each line Resolution: Releases: 4.0 - 5.0 -   In order to keep trailing spaces in each record of a line sequential file, use the STRIPSPACE=OFF file handler configuration option to leave the trailing spaces in the record. Please see the Net Express bookshelf programmer's guide "File Handling", chapter 6: File Handler Configuration. How To: create text file using notepad - call it extfh.cfg put this in it: [XFH-DEFAULT] [TEST.DAT]         STRIPSPACE=OFF         WHEN TYPING THIS FILE - MAKE SURE YOU HIT ENTER AFTER EACH LINE TO PLACE AN END OF LINE MARKER **ESPECIALLY THE LAST LINE [TEST.DAT]         **THIS IS OPTIONAL IF YOU WANT TO USE THIS FOR ONE PARTICULAR FILE       

Problem: Is there any way to run the file conversion process from the command line in a batch job. Conversion of many data files with the tool can be easier and more reliable when done within a batch job. Resolution: This can be done using the following command line: run dfconv profile-fname [input-fname] [output-fname] where: profile-fname is the name of the profile file that contains the details of the task you want to perform.   input-fname  is optional and is the name of the input file.   output-fname  is optional and is the name of the output file. The input and output file-names are optional as they can be extracted from the profile file. If you specify file-names on the command line as well as in the profile file, those on the command line take precedence. After conversion, the operating system error level ERRORLEVEL is set to non-zero if an error occurred during conversion. If you are running the con

Problem: Method to uninstall Net Express 4.0 and any applied fixpacks silently from a command line Resolution: End-users can silently uninstall any Micro Focus products (which use Micro Focus' proprietary wrapper install technology), without the need to go to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. First, users need to establish the values of %UNINSTALLER% and %UNINSTALLTAG% as referenced below in the [Setup] section of the wrapper.ini file, which can be found in the root of the Micro Focus product Installation CD. Users should be logged on as the same user which originally installed the product.  Use the following command template as a guide to uninstalling products silently: START/WAIT %UNINSTALLER% /FILE=%UNINSTALLTAG%UNINST.DAT /SMS As an example for Net Express 4.0 this would equate to: %UNINSTALLER%=NETEXPRESS40UNINST.EXE and %UNINSTALLTAG%=NETX40 The version of the file related to %UNINSTALLER% resides in the C:\\WINDO

Problem: A text in your application appears differently once executed on another machine or a font routine fails to use a font that is installed in Windows. Resolution: It is possible that the selected font is not a True Type one, and Windows is set to use ONLY True Type fonts. Since Courier for example is not a True Type font, a routine such as PC_PRINTER_SET_FONT would fail with return code 13. Not only this Cobol routine cannot use it, but all applications in Windows. Here are the steps to turn off this setting in Windows: 1. Go to Control Panel 2. Open Fonts 3. Click on Folder Options from the Tools menu 4. Click on the True Type Fonts tab 5. Uncheck the only option in there, which is "Show only True Type fonts in the program on my computer" 6. Click on the Apply button 7. Click on the OK button, and you will be prompted to restart the machine 8. Restart Windows (after saving your work) Old KB# 5274

Problem: FileShare is running as a service using sample FS.CFG located in the Windows\\system32 directory Using CCI.INI to set the PORT number. FS.CFG sample /s FSNAME /cm ccitcp /d ?:\\databse-reference-file /pf ?:\\password-file /wd ?:\\filehare-working-directory-path /sc CCI.INI file contains [ccitcp-servers] FSNAME=MFPORT:12003 [ccitcp-targets] FSNAME=MFNODE:machine-name-or-IPAdress,MFPORT=12003 Resolution: Problem existed was the CCI.INI file contained an error in the ccitcp-targets in that it had an "=" character and not a ":" character after MFPORT. Old KB# 5313

Problem: A program uses more than one copybook, but only one or some of the copybooks show up in the project tree window of the Net Express IDE. The program can be compiled successfully despite of that. Resolution: Try executing the Update All Dependencies option from the Project menu. If that does not resolve it, the project file  has possibly become corrupt. Just create a new project, and this should display the dependencies correctly. Make sure also to apply all latest fixes for Net Express. Old KB# 5253

Problem: When compiling from a command line the linker is requiring that the file external.obj be linked in but when running a .int from within the project it is not required. Resolution: .int format programs within a project will load and use the util.lbr file which contains the externl inside it. When linking OBJs the util.lbr is not used so the externl.obj module is required when there is an EXTERNAL phrase specified within an FD. Old KB# 5233