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Problem:

How to animate or debug a Dialog System character screen (.s)?

Resolution:

If the program calls Dialog System with "DSRUN", then a call with 'T' in DS-CONTROL is required before calling DSRUN with 'N' in DS-CONTROL. For example:

working-storage section.
[...]
78 dialog-system value "DSRUN".

procedure division.
   [...]
   move 'T' to DS-CONTROL
   perform call-dialog-system

   move 'N' to DS-CONTROL
   move 'ScreenName' to DS-SET-NAME
   perform call-dialog-system
   [...]

call-dialog-system section.
   call dialog-system using DS-CONTROL-BLOCK,CUSTOMER-DATA-BLOCK
   [...]

Alternatively, you may replace the 78-level definition of Dialog System to "DSC"

78 dialog-system value "DSC".

and there is no need to call Dialog System with 'T' in DS-CONTROL. In other words, the two lines

move 'T' to DS-CONTROL
perform call-dialog-system

have to be commented out.