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Status Future consideration
Workspace COBOL Compilers
Categories z/OS
Created by Guest
Created on Jan 21, 2026

RELATED IDEAS

JSON GENERATE translate dash to underscore

Dash is not supported in JSON Names in Java and other languages. JSON GENERATE default uses the COBOL name which usually includes dashes. It would be useful to have a phrase or option to translate all dashes in names to underscore.

We have many large legacy copybooks that use dash in the COBOL names. Changing these and the impacted code would be a major effort.

The NAME phrase is useful when only a few names need to be replaced. Large complex copybooks with hundreds of variables and multiple nested OCCURS would require basically duplicating the entire copybook structure into the NAME phrase.

RENAMES and REDEFINES would again require duplicating the existing copybook with new Java compatible names and could negatively impact other code.

Replacing the dashes in the JSON string after GENERATE would impact the data items also (example dates that use dash for delimiter).

Idea priority High
  • Admin
    Basil Kanneth
    Feb 4, 2026

    This is a valid idea and has been accepted. It will be updated further once put into plan.

    Reply

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