Problem:

In MFE, user gets compiler error message 'cobch0533s' on a START statement while attempting to retrieve the last record in a VSAM KSDS.  Immediately prior to the START, user does the following:

OPEN INPUT ALFOUT

MOVE '9999999999'  TO ALFIL-LOGID

The statement producing the error is:

START ALFOUT KEY < ALFIL-LOGID

The compile error is:

COBCH0533S START ... LESS/NOT GREATER THAN ...

Resolution:

  MFE is correct in issuing the error message. IBM does not support this syntax.