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Status Not under consideration
Workspace COBOL Compilers
Created by Guest
Created on Dec 22, 2021

RELATED IDEAS

Compiler support for +80 character lines

With the release of the IBM Z Open Editor for Visual Studio Code, more IBM COBOL is edited in an editor not limited by 80 characters.
We request an option to the z/OS COBOL compiler, to be able to read COBOL code without a limit of 80 characters.
And a change to the IBM Z Open Editor, to support this.

Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Jan 21, 2022

    IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS is a continuous delivery offering, and aims to satisfy the needs of a rapidly evolving market segment. Product strategy evolves and requirements are continuously evaluated against that strategy. This RFE has been appraised against the wider product strategy and does not fall into IBMs delivery plans for the next 12 month. Whilst this RFE might be valid and we might look to deliver longer term, this RFE is being rejected at this time. The requirement will be kept in our internal RFE backlog and might be reassessed in the future.

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Dec 27, 2021

    IBM COBOL for linux on x86 has an "extended format" :
    - sequence area from 1 to 6
    - indicateur area at 7
    - source from 7 to 252 (areas A and B)

    https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/cobol-linux-x86/1.1?topic=structure-reference-format

  • Guest
    Reply
    |     Dec 22, 2021

    For whatever its worth, this feature is supported in the current COBOL standard and is known as "free format", while the legacy format is "fixed format".

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