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Status Not under consideration
Workspace COBOL Compilers
Created by Guest
Created on Jul 4, 2018

"automatic" calculation of the length of a data-item

We need that the length of a data-item can be calculated automatically in relation to its context: this data-item is used in REDEFINES of different length, and must correspond to the REDEFINES which has the greatest length.

This way of doing things is imposed by our proprietary CICS communication middleware.

Today these structures are produced by a code generator that we will have to abandon (it is no longer maintained by its editor).
Tomorrow we will have to code these structures ourselves.

We would like to have a feature that dynamically computes the length of a variable relative to its context, as is possible in IBM assembly language by the "L" attribute.
Cf. https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/fr/SSLTBW_2.1.0/com.ibm.zos.v2r1.asma400/symlar.htm

Idea priority Low
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Oct 20, 2018

    Structure are not pad to blank for use of statement "move length of structure to…".

    Requirement for length at start of structure is required by middleware (API) : transport of messages based on length of message (cics statements : writeq ts, send, etc.)

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Oct 12, 2018

    In the provided example, the implicit redefinition could be replaced with explicit redefinition, or use the MSG-LENGTH field as the controlling entity. It is not clear from the example the best way to re-write it, but we would be happy to work with you to help you.

    We would not be inclined to introduce a change in COBOL based on the needs of a proprietary CICS communication middle ware and obsolete code generator. Hence, this RFE is being rejected.

    To re-write the provided example, we would need to know why the message cannot be padded with blanks, and where the length of message requirement comes from.

    Thanks.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Aug 2, 2018

    This RFE is still under consideration

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Jul 4, 2018

    Attachment (Use case): Sample structure with variable redefines