Rocket® COBOL

Problem: Load error : file 'EXTSM'                                                        error code: 173, pc=0, call=1, seg=0 173     Called program file not found in drive/directory This error is due to the EXTSM object file not being linked to the executable. Resolution: To overcome this problem you need to link EXTSM.OBJ to the EXE.  This can be done  through the BUILD SETTINGS of the IDE in NetExpress or include it in CBLLINK on the command line. Specifying EXTSM.OBJ in this way, the executable should work correctly within and outside of the IDE. Attached is a small demo which might help the customer. Old KB# 390

Problem: How can you send an email from Net Express using SMTP ? Resolution: You can do this by using the "CDO for Windows 2000" COM Objects supplied by Microsoft with Windows 2000 and above. A sample showing how you can use this from COBOL is attached. Attachments: cdo.zip Old KB# 3892

Problem: It can be interesting to dynamically set,  for test purposes or whatever, a COMMAND-LINE within a program.... How to do it? Resolution: The sample code pasted below show how to:        working-storage section.        01 CMDline   pic x(100).        01 CMDline1  pic x(100).        procedure division.            move "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 " to      CMDline            display CMDline  upon command-line            accept  CMDline1 from command-line            display "CMDLINE received " CMDline

Problem: Release 4.0: When using the Profiler Utility to analyse the performances of the programs a large part of the time spent seems to go to an 'unnamed paragraph' part shown in the output. Total time:       9234 milliseconds.      Module called once. % time      time   entries  ms/entry      paragraph ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 98.69      9113      1      9113    Unnamed Paragraph 0021     0.99        91         1        91      A8   0.11   &nb

Problem: Yo might be getting error 48 on a write to file in subprogram. Main_Program opens file output and writes header record to the file, no errors. Main_Program calls Sub_Program. In the Sub_program when try to write to this file opened in Main_Program get error 48 file status. Resolution: Make sure the compiler directive ASSIGN(External) is used for the file. In both the Main_Program and Sub_Program,  the FD section for the file lets call the file "File_out"  need to add external to the FD. This will prevent the error 48 from occurring. For example: FD   File_out  External. 01   File_out_record      PIC X(1000). Old KB# 3902#netexpress#RMCOBOL#COBOL#AcuCobol#ServerExpress

Problem: To remove the  'This web service is using http://tempuri.org/ as its default namespace' message. Resolution: In the Net Express IDE, select 'File', 'Open Service Interface's. Right Click on the Web Service Select  'Settings' Under, Service Name, click the  'Advanced'  button to bring up the 'Service Namespace settings'.    What you put in here populates the field on the previous pane Old KB# 3843

Problem: WrapPack install may report that some of FixPacks failed to be applied. It is normal that some FixPacks will not be applied if the associated components (e.g Dialog System, SQL Option for DB2, etc.) are not installed, but this Knowledgebase article addresses a failure to apply FixPacks for installed components. Resolution: The install program (Micro Focus Web Installer) does not handle well paths with $ or %, e.g.  C:\\DOCUME~1\\$235\\LOCALS~1\\Temp\\ or C:\\DOCUME~1\\#5\\LOCALS~1\\Temp\\ This is a limitation in the install product, which is no longer used by Micro Focus for its new products. All new products are using Microsoft Installer (MSI), and this handles paths with $ and %. Due to this limitation, WrapPack may fail to apply certain FixPacks if the directory where the TEMP environment variable contains $ or %. The workaround is to point the TEMP environment variable to a directory that does not contain these two characters (e.g. c

Problem: when trying to create a new project, I receive the following: General failure: could not create project. Resolution: In this case - the user needed write access to folder where project was being created Old KB# 3848

Problem: The national characters are not correct in my character based screens. Resolution: The reason for the characters not appearing correctly is that the application has the 'ANSI Input mode' option selected in Application build settings.  Unselect the 'ANSI Input mode' option  and retry your application. Old KB# 3844

Problem: Ensuring that programs are ANSI'85 compliant and setting this directive ANS85, but do not get error messages for syntax elements which are NOT represented in ANSI'85-COBOL. Resolution: The ANS85 directive adds the ANSI'85 COBOL features to a selected language level. Please use the directive DIALECT"ANS85" to restrict the COBOL features to ANSI'85. Old KB# 3855

Problem: "File or assembly name MicroFocus.COBOL.Runtime, or one of its dependencies, was not found." The "all06n40.exe" WrapPack had been applied to the Net EXpress 4.0 development system used to create the application programs being executed. Resolution: The "aps08a40.exe" Service Pack for Net Express 4.0 Application Server and the "SRN89N40.EXE" Service Pack for Net Express with .NET Applicaition server had not been applied to the base installations of Net Express 4.0 Application Server and Net Express with .NET Application Server. Applying the Service Packs "aps08a40.exe" and "SRN89N40.EXE" to the Application Server installations on the server eliminated ther error. Old KB# 3905

Problem: What can you do if the toolbar under the pulldown menus of the IDE is missing or hidden? Resolution: Click on the 'View' pulldown menu and then click on 'Dockable windows'. Tick on the 'toolbar' option. This should bring back the toolbar that was hidden. Old KB# 3901

Problem: Team Server/ Team System is a Microsoft tool that provides much wider services than just Source Resolution: We provide some support for the Source Control part of Team Server. In .NET we provide support for it in Studio 5. In Net Express 4.0 and Mainframe express 3.0 we provide support for what is called Microsoft Source Control Common Interface (MSSCCI).  This is sort of a standard that provides access to different Source Control systems.  Currently the only systems that we have validated MSSCCI with (for both, un-managed Net Express and MFE) are PVCS and SourceSafe. Currently there is a beta MSSCCI provider for VSTS SCCS but we haven't validated this yet. Please contact technical support for more up-to-date information. Old KB# 3889

Problem: How can I calculate the length of a UNICODE string? Resolution: The following code fragment illustrates one method of calculating the length of a UNICODE string:        working-storage section.        01  account-name-text           pic n(20).        01  account-name-len             pic 9(3).        01  w01-s1                              pic 9(3).        procedure division.            initialize account-name-text.  &nbsp

Problem: This article discusses the Consolidated Tracing Facility (CTF), which is now part of the functionality offered in the latest versions of Net Express and Server Express. Resolution: Overview CTF provides reliable, fast, and configurable tracing capabilities.  Eventually it will interleave trace events output from all the components involved in running applications. At present the runtime system (RTS) is the only enabled component: all components are expected to convert to use CTF as their tracing mechanism in future releases of Micro Focus products.  CTF is therefore a 'work in progress'. CTF is enabled by using an environment variable to point to a 'side file' (configuration file) which contains one or more entries.  CTF will then run a module, known as an 'emitter' (at present the only emitter is one that produces a plain text file) giving details of the application(s) being run.  The e

Problem: Project is on a shared network drive.  When run, gets runtime error: System.TypeInitializationException was unhandled Resolution: Need to change the Permission Set for LocalIntranet_Zone code group: Open the .NET Framework Config Wizard: Control Panel > Admin Tools > Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Configuration On the Configuration Wizard, go to: My Computer > Runtime Security Policy > Machine > Code Groups > All_Code > LocalIntranet_Zone Right click on LocalIntranet_Zone and go to Properties On the Permission Set tab click the dropdown box and select FullTrust Click OK Old KB# 3854

Problem: Do the PC_PRINTER routines allow two or more fonts on the same line? Resolution: It should be perfectly possible to have a number of fonts on the same line.  This is simply achieved by calling the PC_PRINTER_SET_FONT before you send the line data. A new line is forced when you send a CR/LF at the end of your text data.  So, you can do the following: CALL PC_PRINTER_OPEN CALL PC_PRINTER_SET_FONT - Courier New 10 Point CALL PC_PRINTER_WRITE    - "Sample" note that we do not send a CR/LF CALL PC_PRINTER_SET_FONT - Arial 16 Point CALL PC_PRINTER_WRITE    - "Text" CR/LF CALL PC_PRINTER_CLOSE The CR/LF can be added via the following WORKING-STORAGE structure: 01  ws-line-data.     03  ws-line-text      pix x(20).     03  ws-line-crlf     &nbs

Problem: You can use embedded printer escape sequences when printing using the syntax such as:- SELECT PRINTFIL ASSIGN  TO  PRINTER  WS-PRINT-NAME                            ORGANIZATION  LINE SEQUENTIAL                            FILE  STATUS  IS  FILE-STATUS. WS-PRINT-NAME contains "\\\\PRINTSERVER\\printername". and standard COBOL File IO. Some printer ignore the control characters. Resolution: This is caused by the COBOL file handler inserting a NULL character before each control character. Some printers just ignore these extra null characters so they continue to work but some printers don't int

Problem: what is the max length of an 01 level? Resolution: Limits on the Size and Number of Data Items The following table shows the maximum size and number of data items. Data Item Maximum Size or Number ______________________________________________________________ Alphanumeric/Group 256 Mbytes Alphanumeric Edited/ & Numeric Edited Can consist of 32 parts,           each of which can contain up to 16           occurrences of a single edited character            type subject to a total size of 512 bytes Numeric 18 digits COMP/COMP-5 format 8 bytes EXTERNAL data item No specifiable limit ACCEPT FROM CONSOLE Limits (if any) are imposed by the operating system. ANSI DISPLAY No limit, on this COBOL system: Old KB# 3845

Problem: In particular, I'm looking for documentation on how to use the Net Express Application Server process.  We did find info on the run.exe program, but am having difficulty in trying to get displays to be redirected to an output file for future review. Is there any documentation available to help us with the Application Server Runtime environment? Resolution: This product provides all the support files necessary to support the execution of COBOL application programs. The way in which Applcation Server gets used is the execution of a COBOL application program. When you create your COBOL application program check the "Dynamic" checkbox and your program will look to the registry on whatever computer it is running to determine the location of the COBOL Run-time files necessary to support execution of the program. If you don't use the "Dynamic" checkbox you must set the PATH and COBDIR environment variables to point t

Problem: Dialog System: The DISPLAYs in my GUI Dialog System COBOL program do not appear when I use an EXE build. Resolution: In Net Express, the default linking builds a graphically EXE, where DISPLAYs are suppressed as long as there is no open console / command prompt for this application. There are two possibilities to get a console for the DISPLAYs. Either: --------------------------------- Add the statement:    ACCEPT dummy WITH TIMEOUT 0 in front of the first DISPLAY. Any ACCEPT, which expects input from a console, will induce the RTS to open one. And subsequent DISPLAYs will occur. "WITH TIMEOUT 0" does not wait for the input and returns immediately. The console only occurs if necessary. Please define "dummy" in the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION, e.g. 01 dummy PIC X. --------------------------------- Or: --------------------------------- You may change the default graphical link to a character mode lin

Problem: If you have code that uses the call to _codeset, as in previous versions of Netexpress (4.0 and earlier),  but now in version 5.0 you try to link in the required cs module, you will get an error stating  the cs object can't be found. Resolution: As of Netexpress 5.0, the cs OBJs are no longer required as they have been built into the codeset program. Old KB# 3908

Problem: The easiest is to use a BITMAP as a background, having previously used the MS Api SetBkMode with the TRANSPARENT option... see MF KB 21852 http://supportline.microfocus.com/mf_kb_display.asp?kbnumber=21852... Another way is to use the Microsoft API Rectangle as done in the demo attached to this KB Resolution: The easiest is to use a BITMAP as a background, having previously use the MS Api SetBkMode with the TRANSPARENT option... see MF KB 21852 http://supportline.microfocus.com/mf_kb_display.asp?kbnumber=21852... Another way is to use the Microsoft API Rectangle as done in the demo attached to this KB http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/gdi/fillshap_6kth.asp Rectangle The Rectangle function draws a rectangle. The rectangle is outlined by using the current pen and filled by using the current brush. BOOL Rectangle(   HDC hdc,         // handle to DC

Problem: How to convert to UTF-8 format in Cobol? Resolution: This documented in a Microsoft SQL article (Q232580):- Translate to and from UCS-2 or UTF-8 as appropriate within the application. Sample code for this type of conversion is located at the Unicode Consortium's site: <http://www.unicode.org/Public/PROGRAMS/CVTUTF> A high-level description of the algorithm to convert UCS-2 to UTF-8 can be found in the Internet Request For Comments document RFC2279. On Windows NT or Windows 2000, you may use the Win32 functions MultiByteToWideChar and WideCharToMultiByte to convert UTF-8 to and from UCS-2 by passing the constant CP_UTF8 (65001) as the first parameter to the functions. If you can live with a Win32 only solution the api calls will give you the easiest solution. Old KB# 3852

Problem: Release 4.0: After rebuilding a file with duplicate keys the run time error 9/077 appeared when deleting the duplicate. Resolution: It is related to the large number of duplicate key values (20354) in alternate key 1 in that case. It is falling foul of some incorrect error checking in the filehandler whilst processing a delete operation (which in the end is causing the file to be corrupted). This code was corrected as the result of rpi no: 1053279 which is fixed in Micro Focus Studio 5. Workaround: In this case the problem can also be worked around by increasing the nodesize of the file to 4K using rebuild (ie create an extfh.cfg with NODESIZE=4096 and rebuild the file). This will increase the number of alternate keys that can be held in a node so that the total number of nodes needed to store the maximum number of alternate keys (65535) cannot trigger the incorrect error checking code. With the file containing the duplicates it does and the nodes