Created On: 04 March 2011
Problem:
A client added a compiler directive (in this instance SPZERO) in their COBOL Environmental Variable file "CompileCob64.sh" on Server Express. But, when we tried to compile any program it returned the error - " Cobol Compiler Argument exceed 128 bytes limit". UNIX systems can restrict the maximum length of the operating system's command line, which can be as low as 128 bytes.
Resolution:
One way round this is to place system-wide cob parameters in a text file $COBDIR/etc/cobopt. If you do it this way it means all compiles will pick up that directive (plus any others set in $COBDIR/etc/cobopt). Setting it here means this is a global directive, therefore if some parts of the application must be compiled without this directive you would not put it here.
The file $COBDIR/etc/cobopt should already exist and is just a text file. You’ll see that each directive is set on a separate line and so all you’d do is add a line
-C SPZEREO
Alternatively, you can place them in a text file and location of your choice and set $COBOPT to point to that file. This way the 'cob' command will look at this file (it also looks in $COBDIR/etc/cobopt). You’d put all the directives currently on the command line into that file and change the $COBOPT directive to point to that file.
Eg: export COBOPT=/home/mycobopt
And in mycobopt
-C notrunc
-C all other directives etc....1 per line
-C spzero
The cob command will then pick this up via $COBOPT.
$COBOPT can either contain individual directives or it can contain the location of a file containing directives.
This issue was not with the SPZERO directive itself, but with the fact that the command line was being truncated.
The file $COBDIR/etc/cobopt should already exist and is just a text file. You’ll see that each directive is set on a separate line and so all you’d do is add a line
-C SPZEREO
Alternatively, you can place them in a text file and location of your choice and set $COBOPT to point to that file. This way the 'cob' command will look at this file (it also looks in $COBDIR/etc/cobopt). You’d put all the directives currently on the command line into that file and change the $COBOPT directive to point to that file.
Eg: export COBOPT=/home/mycobopt
And in mycobopt
-C notrunc
-C all other directives etc....1 per line
-C spzero
The cob command will then pick this up via $COBOPT.
$COBOPT can either contain individual directives or it can contain the location of a file containing directives.
This issue was not with the SPZERO directive itself, but with the fact that the command line was being truncated.
Old KB# 33604
