Rocket® Visual COBOL®

This is rather a COBOL related question than a Micro Focus related question, I'm afraid:From other programming languages I'm used to be able to provide literals instead of data items when I'm using them as a constant value (a so-called "r-value").When such compiler complains that it doesn't know how to coerce the literal value to an expected data type, I'm usually able to add a cast modifier to that literal value, so the compiler will know how to store the literal value.Is it possible in COBOL, too, to enter such literal and provide a casting expression along? E.g.:CALL "PrintThis" USING BY CONTENT "This is a test." AS PIC A(50).

Very often, an identifier's data tooltip in Visual COBOL debugger is still being displayed even when the mouse pointer leaves the identifier and hovers over another identifier or is moved far away from the original identifier: Occasionally, the data tool tip is removed in-time (see animation when hovering over nameLength data item). So, I suspect there is a failure in recognizing when an identifier is left.

Today I launched my first debugging session with Visual COBOL and recognized a number of errors. I took a screen recording of my session. Please find the screen recording attached along with the project file in the attachment.The errors I recognized and recorded are (briefly):Text capitalization fails to be read correctly from option settings occasionally.Debugger value tool-tips are displayed for literals.Debugger value tool-tips result in errors.

Chris,can you inform us when up8 for vc5.0 is ready for downloadcan you inform us when vc6.0 will be released? What are the new Features?Thanks

The Expanded Copybook Viewer behaves much like the Peek Definition panel in Visual Studio 2019.I'm very much missing to be able to close a currently open Copybook by hitting the <ESC> key.Wouldn't it be a good idea to abandon the proprietary Expanded Copybook Viewer and replace it with the Peek Definition panel, built into Visual Studio 2019? It would solve issues like it behaving different from the Peek Definition panel while semantically being the same utility.Switching to the Peek Definition panel could reduce programming efforts at Micro Focus, too.

In my project I've set the project properties to use the FREE source format.But that format doesn't seem to apply to Copybook files.Am I doing something wrong? How can I have Copybook files use the FREE source format?Your answer is appreciated.

Apparently, outlining doesn't work as expected when $region is used.Trying to unfold a nested outlining area (e.g. the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION in the sample image down below) using the context menu Outlining > Toogle Outlining Expansion  CTRL M, CTRL M doesn't unfold the corresponding area. Instead, the outermost area ("$region main program" in this case) is toggled. Or, put in other words: you cannot unfold WORKING-STORAGE SECTION by placing the cursor on that line and hitting CTRL M, CTRL M because the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION is nested in the $region main program area.

Currently, Visual COBOL IntelliSense filters on leaf data item levels only: I propose to provide an additional IntelliSense filter option:COBOL IntelliSense should also provide suggestions for node data items: As you can see, the above mock image shows entries for an upper level data item and there is a fourth filter button added, depicting the suggested filter icon.------------This is the data structure I used in my example: 

I noticed that I cannot navigate to an external subprogram by hitting Go To Definition or Peek Definition: I believe this is a feature that would very much needed in larger projects.So, here's my feature suggestion.

I don't seem to be able to add a plain empty text file to the project:  All the files in this list come with some template content and/or pre-set compiler options.Please add a plain, empty text file item to the list of items to add to a COBOL project.

Currently, having the "Tools > Options > Debugging > Micro Focus COBOL > Suspend at 'STOP RUN'" option set, the debugger visually appears to stop before the final line is being executed: From above screenshot you can see that it looks like the CALL statement has not been executed yet. But actually, execution has already passed the final line in the code.This current behaviour is very irritating.Furthermore, I'm used to continue (by hitting <F5>) a successful program when it's halted instead of aborting it (by hitting <SHIFT> <F5>). So, it's cumbersome to alter that common behaviour just for the "Suspend On 'STOP RUN'" feature (see error message above). So, I'd like to suggest four improvements regarding the "Suspend On 'STOP RUN'" feature:When building a DEBUG build, have the COBOL linker add a terminating __debugbreak operation (or Debugger.Break method) to the generated code

Problem The Visual COBOL or COBOL Server setup fails with the following error: "Service 'Micro Focus Directory Server' (mf_CCITCP2) failed to start. Verify that you have sufficient privileges to start system services." The installation logs also report the following error: Micro Focus COBOL Server -- Error 1920. Service 'Micro Focus Directory Server' (mf_CCITCP2) failed to start. Verify that you have sufficient privileges to start system services. Applying execute package: cobolserver_50x86, action: Install, path: C:\\ProgramData\\Package Cache\\{A1DD402A-9C93-4A25-8505-70C3603C4966}v5.0.00256\\cs\\cobolserver_50x86.msi, arguments: ' ARPSYSTEMCOMPONENT="1" MSIFASTINSTALL="7" INSTALLDIR="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Micro Focus\\COBOL Server" ECLIPSEINSTALLDIR="" BUILDSERVER=""' Error 0x80070643: Failed to install MSI package. Error 0x80070643: Failed to execute MSI package. Error 0x80070643: Failed to configure per-machine MSI package. Applied execute package: cobolserver_50

How many retail banking users do you estimate are taking advantage of the TRIAD COBOL-based services?#VisualCOBOLUniverse2020

How long does it take to learn object-oriented programming with modern COBOL? #VisualCOBOLUniverse2020

Can you give us an example of the benefits of using objects and Frameworks in our existing programs?#VisualCOBOLUniverse2020

How long does it take to transform COBOL applications?#VisualCOBOLUniverse2020

I can see that you are using AWS with Kubernetes.  Can you do the same with Azure?#VisualCOBOLUniverse2020

If we are not using 'MAIN' section in our COBOL code, then what will be the "MAIN" box in flow chart? In other words, is the "MAIN" box in flow chart is due to Procedure Division or due to 'MAIN' Section?#VisualCOBOLUniverse2020

When extracting code to a program, can the new linkage fields be put into a copybook?#VisualCOBOLUniverse2020

Are the Refactoring features demonstrated only in Visual studio IDE or they are also available in eclipse IDE?#VisualCOBOLUniverse2020

In the session, there was talk of refactoring to create APIs or RESTful webservices from existing COBOL applications. Can you explain what technology options are available to deploy COBOL code as an API?#VisualCOBOLUniverse2020

Hi, I am trying to compile my JVM Project.Using the include-command does not work, the copy will not be found:EXEC SQL       INCLUDE HVEND-EXEC....-> cobol] COBCH0012S Operand HV-T-BEZUG is not declared HV-T-BEZUG ist declared in the copy HV.Using the copy HV by the command 'copy HV' there are no problems.My directives :hide-message"1158" REMOVE(NAME) REMOVE(USER) nospzero DATAMAP hostnum-compare"2"hostnum-move nobound nomfcomment assign"external" defaultbyte"00"notrunc setting adv NOKEYCHECK filetype"11" sequential"record" HOST-NUMCOMPARESIGN-FIXUP TRUNCCOPY"16" IDXFORMAT"8" CONSTANT COBCONNECT "TRUE" CONSTANTCONREUSE "TRUE" CONSTANT COBLOG "FALSE" REMOVE(BYTE) REMOVE(DECLARE)REMOVE(PARAMS) COPYEXT",cbl,cpy,mf,CPY,CBL" ILEXPONENTIATION "FLOAT"CHECKDIV "ENTCOBOL" NOBOUNDOPTSQL Pre Dirs:SQL(DBMAN=JDBC) S

I noticed that two project setting have double entries: After fiddling around a bit I have a feeling they both seem to serve the same purpose.► Why do they exist twice? What's the exact difference? PS: From what I also noticed:The entries on the COBOL Link page override the entries on Application page.Clearing the entries on the COBOL Link page copies the Application page entries over to the COBOL Link entries.I would have expected a drop-down for Entry Point, providing me with a list of all available entry points in the project.#application#Projectsettings#COBOLLink

Hi,Getting this error whiler creating COBOL project in Wondows 10:Errors occurred during the build.Errors running builder 'Micro Focus Project Builder' on project 'testproj'.Truncated class fileThanks.Gagan 

Has anyone experienced this error and know how to correct the problem?  It was working fine yesterday before the update occured.  I uninstalled/reinstalled Visual COBOL Personal Edition to no avail.The "MicroFocus.Cobol.BuildTasks.Cobol" task could not be loaded from the assembly C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Visual Studio\\2019\\Community\\MSBuild\\Micro Focus\\Visual COBOL\\v1.0\\MicroFocus.COBOL.BuildTasks.dll. Method 'get_SourceFileExtension' in type 'MicroFocus.COBOL.BuildTasks.CreateCobolManifestResourceName' from assembly 'MicroFocus.COBOL.BuildTasks, Version=16.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=0412c5e0b2aaa8f0' does not have an implementation. Confirm that the <UsingTask> declaration is correct, that the assembly and all its dependencies are available, and that the task contains a public class that implements Microsoft.Build.Framework.ITask.