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.NET COBOL external dictionary

Forum|Forum|24 days ago
August 10, 2026
4 replies
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+2

Peter Restorick
Inspiring

In native COBOL we could define a dictionary and that could be set as external which allowed us to access it via our external filehandler. In .NET COBOL it seems it is no longer possible to define a dictionary as external.

Can anyone suggest an alternative given that the information that can be passed to an external filehandler is limited and controlled by the run-time?

Best answer by Chris Glazier

something like this:

       program-id. Program1 as "teststatic.Program1".
       procedure division.
           create type mydictionary::stringdict
           write type mydictionary::stringdict from "item 0" key "key0"
           call "subprog"
           perform varying key k as string through type mydictionary::stringdict
               declare s as string
               read type mydictionary::stringdict into s key k
               display "key = " & k & " value = " & s
           end-perform
           display "done"

           goback.

       end program Program1.
       class-id mydictionary.
       working-storage section.
       01 stringdict dictionary[string, string] static property.
       end class.

       program-id. subprog.
       procedure division.

           write type mydictionary::stringdict from "item 1" key "key1".

       end program subprog.

+4

Chris Glazier
Moderator
Forum|Forum|23 days ago
August 11, 2026

Hi Peter,

Have you tried defining the dictionary as static?

Like

+2

Peter Restorick
Author
Inspiring
Forum|Forum|23 days ago
August 11, 2026

Hi Chris,

Thanks for responding but ignorance is bliss here. Am I correct in saying I would have to define a separate class/dll which I can then reference from both the mainstream application and the external filehandler?

Like

+4

Chris Glazier
Moderator
Answer
Forum|Forum|23 days ago
August 11, 2026

something like this:

       program-id. Program1 as "teststatic.Program1".
       procedure division.
           create type mydictionary::stringdict
           write type mydictionary::stringdict from "item 0" key "key0"
           call "subprog"
           perform varying key k as string through type mydictionary::stringdict
               declare s as string
               read type mydictionary::stringdict into s key k
               display "key = " & k & " value = " & s
           end-perform
           display "done"

           goback.

       end program Program1.
       class-id mydictionary.
       working-storage section.
       01 stringdict dictionary[string, string] static property.
       end class.

       program-id. subprog.
       procedure division.

           write type mydictionary::stringdict from "item 1" key "key1".

       end program subprog.