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This has been shipped in the September 2016 PTFs for V5.2 and V6.1 KC refreshes in September.
This RFE has been put into plan.
For Fields used in EXEC SQL or EXEC CICS-Statements it could be difficult to find out if they are used before initialization.
Using Preprocessor instead of coprocessor brings more complexity.
Maybe add a Sub-Option for Not-Checking fields which are used in "known programs" like DFH* or DSN* (for preprocessor) or in EXEC-Statements (coprocessor)?
Maybe a help could also be another suboption for fields that are given to a subprogram: all Subprograms always initialize all given variables, so they seem to be initialized if they are used after Calling the subprogram.
Or more granularily: Give a List of Program-Names which are doing such init-work (to minimize false positives).
So a Syntax like
INITBEFOREUSE(INITPROGS("MYROUTINEA,ANOTHERPROGRAM"),IGNORECICSCALLS) (Sorry for ProgramNames longer than 8 characters, only for giving a good example).
Guenter
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
Would be a great help in finding subtle errors and improving quality (for those who aren't yet through with this issue).
Our application development had a lot of work in removing un- (resp. LE-only) initialized vars during the past decade. They had to because of a change in technology that lead to re-using COBOL modules once loaded. We then considered to create a detection tool based on ADATA records but it would have required too much effort. A Compiler-based solution would clearly have helped much.
However, be warned that fields initialized by a VALUE clause only (= only once) may cause similar problems in many cases without being flagged as "uninitialized".
This RFE is inline with our multi year strategy. Once this RFE is put in plan, it will be updated accordingly.
Of course you are right.
For Objects in LinkageSection you have to know the whole control flow in all used programs -> not for a simple help in compiler.
I think that's a good idea.
In my opinion only fields in the working storage section - and indexes - should be flagged. What do you think about that, Guenter?