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Due to processing by IBM, this request was reassigned to have the following updated attributes:
Brand - Servers and Systems Software
Product family - Programming Languages
Product - COBOL Compilers
For recording keeping, the previous attributes were:
Brand - Rational
Product family - Design & development
Product - COBOL Compilers
This RFE has been delivered in Enterprise COBOL, V5.2
This item has been put into plan for a future compiler release.
This request may not be delivered within the release currently under development, but the theme is aligned with the current multi-year strategy.
We will update the RFE once this item is put into plan.
Thanks for your input.
>> I suggest an option on level 01 of the structure. Not a compiler option. @Sebastian: Is that your idea also? <<
That is absolutely fine with me!
>> Our suggestion would be to change the behaviour of the compiler by an additional option. <<
I suggest an option on level 01 of the structure. Not a compiler option. @Sebastian: Is that your idea also?
Allowing data structures containing fields with same names would be very important for us. This will enable us to reduce unnecessary complexity in other parts of the software development process significantly.
Actually we generate big data structures based on a complex business model. Unfortunately we often get data structures which contain the same field names in different sub structures. In order to go round the compiler restriction we have to invent artificial names for these fields. This effects the rest of our generating facility in a bad way causing us a lot of extra effort. Maintaining and extending the generating facility is much harder and is error-prone.
This should work (like PL/I allows it):
01 group-01.
05 my-field pic ...
05 group-05.
06 my-field pic ...
This is how we try to handle the shortcoming:
01 group-01.
05 my-field-1 pic ...
05 group-05.
06 my-field pic ...
The additional ‘-1' has to be kept in mind for all generated sources using this structure as well. Additionally we are running into complications when communicating with subsystems that are not running in the mainframe context.
Our suggestion would be to change the behaviour of the compiler by an additional option.