I am not sure about Net Express 3.0 but I can show you the following examples which work with other Net Express versions.

Look at exception handling demo in KB article here:

The following example is from Net Express 5.1 and it does work with COM exception handling.

*> This is required for OLE applications                        

$set ooctrl( P)                                                  

****************************************************************
* Copyright (C) 1997-1999 Micro Focus International Ltd.        
* All Rights Reserved.                                          
****************************************************************
* The program demonstrates the use of OLE Automation to        *
* send messages to objects in another application. This        *
* example uses Microsoft Word.                                 *
*                                                              *
* It also demonstrates exception handling with regard to OLE   *
* objects, and the OLE support timeout method.                 *
*                                                              *
* The Word interface is documented in the file vbawrd8.hlp     *
* shipped with Microsoft Word 97 and vbawrd9.chm shipped       *
* with Microsoft Word 2000.                                    *
*                                                              *
* REQUIREMENTS: Microsoft Word 97 or above needs to be         *
* installed.                                                   *
*                                                              *
* $(#) V1.0                                                    *
****************************************************************
 program-id. worddemo.                                          
 class-control.                                                  
 *> Native Object COBOL classes                                  
        entrycallback is class "entrycll"  *> Callback class        
        exceptMgr is class "exptnmgr"      *> Exception manager class
        olesup is class "olesup"           *> OLE support class    
        oleExceptMgr is class "oleexpt"    *> OLE exception class  
 *> OLE automation classes                                      
        wordapp is class "$OLE$word.application"                    
        .                                                          
 working-storage section.                                        
 01 wordServer       object reference value null.                
 01 theDocument      object reference value null.                
 01 theDocuments     object reference value null.                
 01 theSelection     object reference value null.                
 01 theFind          object reference value null.                
 01 theParagraph     object reference value null.                
 01 theParagraphs    object reference value null.                
 01 theRange         object reference value null.                
 01 osException      object reference value null.                
 01 lnkNullReference object reference value null.                
 01 found            pic s9(9) comp-5.                          
*> Required for re-entrancy (callback entry point below)        
 local-storage section.                                          
*> Parameters for exception callback                            
 linkage section.                                                
 01 lnkErrorNumber  pic x(4) comp-5.                            
 01 lnkErrorObject  object reference.                            
 01 lnkErrorText    object reference.                            
 procedure division.                                            
    *> Set the timeout for the OLE "busy" error to 100ms        
    *> Using this method is recommended for Word applications  
        invoke olesup "setOLEBusyTimeout" using by value 100        
    *> Create an instance of Word                              
        invoke wordapp "new" returning wordServer                  
    *> Exception handling: Register a callback to be used      
    *> whenever an exception is raised on the OLE exception class
        invoke entrycallback "new" using z"onOleException"          
                               returning osException            
        invoke exceptmgr "register" using oleExceptMgr              
                                      osException              
    *> Make it visible                                          
        invoke wordServer "SetVisible" using by value 1            
    *> Get the Word documents collection object                
        invoke wordServer "getDocuments" returning theDocuments    
    *> Create a new document. The Template and NewTemplate      
    *> parameters for this method are optional                  
        invoke theDocuments "add"                                  
    *> We no longer need the Documents collection              
        invoke theDocuments "finalize" returning theDocuments      
    *> Get the current selection                                
        invoke wordServer "getSelection" returning theSelection    
    *> Insert some lines of text in the new document            
        invoke theSelection "InsertAfter" using                    
                                "This is a test line" & x"0d"    
       invoke theSelection "InsertAfter" using                    
                              "This is the third line" & x"0d"  
    *> Finished with the selection object                      
       invoke theSelection "finalize" returning theSelection      
    *> Oops - we've put "third" instead of "second"            
    *> So, we'll replace that word. This is a bit convoluted,  
    *> but it's intended to give an idea of how collections work
    *> Get the active document                                  
        invoke wordServer "getActiveDocument" returning theDocument
    *> Get the Paragraphs collection, then the second paragraph
    *> using the item method, then the range of that paragraph;
    *> Once we have the range, we've finished with paragraphs!  
    *> This does *exactly* the same as the VB command          
    *>   Range = Document.Paragraphs(2).Range                  
        invoke theDocument "getParagraphs" returning theParagraphs  
        invoke theParagraphs "item" using by value 2                
                        returning theParagraph                  
        invoke theParagraph "getRange" returning theRange          
        invoke theParagraph "finalize" returning theParagraph      
        invoke theParagraphs "finalize" returning theParagraphs    
    *> Get the Find object and ask it to find the text "third"  
    *> This should change theRange object's character range    
        invoke theRange "getFind" returning theFind                
        invoke theFind "setForward" using by value 1                
        invoke theFind "setText" using by content z"third"          
        invoke theFind "execute"                                    
        invoke theFind "getFound" returning found                  
        invoke theFind "finalize" returning theFind                
        if found not = 0                                            
        *> Select our new range of characters                  
            invoke theRange "select"                                
        *> Finally, change the word to the correct word!        
            invoke theRange "setText" using "second"                
        end-if                                                      
        invoke theRange "finalize" returning theRange              
    *> Print the document out                                  
        invoke theDocument "PrintOut" using by value 0              
    *> Close it without saving it                              
        invoke theDocument "Close" using by value 0                
    *> We've finished with the document object                  
        invoke theDocument "finalize" returning theDocument        
    *> Tell Word to quit (it won't shut down otherwise)        
        invoke wordServer "quit"                                    
    *> We've now finished with the Word object                  
        invoke wordServer "finalize" returning wordServer          
        exit program                                                
        stop run.                                                  

 callback section.                                              
       entry "onOleException" using by reference lnkErrorObject        
                             by reference lnkErrorNumber        
                             by reference lnkErrorText.        
       display "Word97 had returned an error..."                  
       display "The COBOL exception number was: " lnkErrorNumber  
       display "The exception occured on:"                        
       invoke lnkErrorObject "display"                            
       display " "                                                
       if lnkErrorText not = null                                  
           invoke lnkErrorText "display"                          
           display " "                                            
       end-if                                                      
       stop "Press a key to continue"                              
       exit program returning lnkNullReference.                    

Good afternoon, Dear Mr.  Chris Glazier:

I appreciate your quick response.

Obviously with version 3.0 is not possible to trap the error before the program crashes on the RTS 198.

It is possible from version 3.1 or greater through

   invoke OLESup "isServerRegistered" using z"Word.Application" .....

This feeds the affirmation of my colleagues argue that "Cobol is Dead", since with older versions of C, Delphi, etc, etc, they resolved with three lines of code.

I have no choice but to call a DLL developed in another language.

Thank you very much for your time and expertise.

Pedro Frongillo.

Sorry, but I must disagree with your colleagues argument that "Cobol is Dead" based on the premise that you cannot register a COM exception handler developed in an unsupported 15 year old version of Net Express.

Your other choice would be of course to upgrade to a newer supported version of Net Express or to open up a support incident with Micro Focus so that we could actually analyze the problem that you are having.

Thanks.

Of course I agree with you, I development Cobol systems since 1969 and still do.

Thanks again and have a good day.

Pedro Frongillo.