Using MFSORT/DFSORT exits

Problem:

When converting sort exits(E15, E35),  the definition of the required fields in the online HELP menu(DFSORT) in Net Express is very good; but there were three fields that caused problems (ENTRY-BUFFER, EXIT-BUFFER, and EXIT-AREA). The first two fields were resolved by making the linkage area a copybook and using a replacing to change the length but no one has any idea of how to define EXIT-AREA. Is there a calculation that is used to figure out the size?

EXIT-AREA is defined in the help system as 'Exit area scratchpad used by the exit to maintain variables between calls to the exit program'..

Resolution:

The EXIT-AREA is 256 bytes and the length is not set (though according to the IBM documentation it should be set to 256). This area is not used by SORT, it's to maintain variables between the calls to the E15 and E25 exits.

Entry from IBM DFSORT docs below.

Each time DFSORT calls the COBOL E15 or COBOL E35 user exit, it passes

the user exit a 256-byte user exit area field (EXITAREA). The first time

the user exit area field is passed to your COBOL E15 user exit, it contains 256 blanks, and the user exit area length field (EXITAREA-LEN) contains 256.

Any changes that are made to the user exit area field or user exit area length

fields are passed back both to the COBOL E15 user exit and the COBOL E35 user exit.