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Status Delivered
Workspace z/OS Connect
Created by Guest
Created on Mar 23, 2018

zCEE API Toolkit support for VARCHAR in Cobol

API Toolkit does not provide an efficient support for VARCHAR in Cobol.
Example Cobol copybook:
03 CUSTNAME.
49 CUSTNAME-X PIC X(080).
49 CUSTNAME-L PIC S9(04) COMP.

Resulting JSON:
"CUSTNAME" : {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"CUSTNAME-X": {
"maxLength": 80,
"type": "string"
},
"CUSTNAME-L": {
"minimum": -9999,
"maximum": 9999,
"type": "integer"
}
}
}
Today, the fields are mapped in a 1:1 manner, but as an API consumer it just seems weird having to specify the length of a string field when it can just be computed by the gateway.
Ideally the JSON would look like:
"CUSTNAME" : {
"type": "string",
"maxLength": 80
}
During the import of the copybook in the API Toolkit, the tool could check for a specific pattern (1 data structure group with one integer and one PIC X, both using 49 level field) to identify that it's a VARCHAR. And the data transformation process would know that this field is to be split into 2 and would retrieve the length of the string.

Idea priority Medium
  • Guest
    Reply
    |
    Mar 23, 2022

    This requirement is addressed by z/OS Connect V3.0.55 / APAR PH43628: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/apar/PH43628
    For further details refer to the “ Developing APIs with the z/OS Connect Designer” topic in the z/OS Connect OpenAPI 3 Documentation:
    https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/zosconn/zos-connect/3.0?topic=developing-apis-zos-connect-designer