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Status Not under consideration
Workspace COBOL Compilers
Created by Guest
Created on Jul 4, 2014

XML Parse with COBOL and XML System Service - better design to avoid truncated XML element content

Current situation:
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Extra COBOL program logic for every XML element content is necessary to check for split content and to concatenate pieces of content for this case.

Enterprise COBOL V5 is running with z/OS XML System Service to parse XML data (XML PARSE ?).
For the XML events ATTRIBUTE-CHARACTERS and CONTENT-CHARACTERS the XML-TEXT contains the character content of the XML element. This can be the whole content of the element but unfortunately also only a substring of the content.
For every XML PARSE the programmer has to add additional coding to check for splits and to concatenate pieces of content if a split is detected.
This has to be done by checking the COBOL special register XML-INFORMATION (implemented with APAR PM85035).

Even with an XML content of 12 bytes we recognized such a truncation.
We analyzed this case in PMR 79415,035,724. The truncation occurs due to z/OS XML code reaching the end of an LE HEAP element of almost 200K that could not hold the complete string of 12 bytes any more.
Instead of obtaining a new piece of storage, only a substring of the XML content was returned.

Suggested improvement:
----------------------
It would be a much better design in our view if COBOL/XML System Service handled this case in a transparent way and returned the complete XML content to the COBOL program.

Idea priority High
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Dec 16, 2020

    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 recently been reappraised 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
    |
    Sep 14, 2015

    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

  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Aug 7, 2014

    This item is inline with our multi-year strategy, but has not yet been put in plan. The RFE will be updated once we do.