Detect column of THEN and ELSE in IDz Code Review for COBOL

One of our installation rules for coding "best practice" COBOL programs requires that the programmer codes the (optional) THEN keyword and the (required, if applicable) ELSE keyword in the same column as the corresponding IF keyword. Statements following the THEN and ELSE keywords must be indented by a number of columns.

To this end we wish to add a locally developed Code Review rule which will be activated from within the "COBOL Software Analysis" function of IDz. Unfortunately we are currently unable to do so.

The "IfThenElseStmt" interface implementation permits the following actions: "getThen().getBeginColumn()" and "getElse().getBeginColumn()". However, these actions do NOT supply the beginning columns of the actual THEN and ELSE keywords. They instead supply the beginning columns of the first statements belonging (correspondingly) to the THEN and ELSE parts of the IF statement.

This situation makes us unable to test the coding rule thoroughly.

Some coding rules may be considered "nice to have" as they only apply in rare cases. However this coding rule applies many times in almost every single COBOL program. It is therefore essential that the rule be tested to the utmost extent.

Actions should be added to the "IfThenElseStmt" interface to supply the beginning columns of the THEN and ELSE keywords, if they are coded.

Our current level of IDz is: Version 14.1.4

Additional Keywords: IDz, RDz, IBM Developer for z Systems