Passing Array as parameter in COBOL/400, is it possible?: COBOL/400, Arrays

by: tliottaPosted on 2009-10-26 at 11:22:54ID: 25665133

Andy400:

Of course it's possible. How it's done will depend on a little more info from you.

RPG passing to COBOL? COBOL/400 or ILE COBOL? (RPG/400 or ILE RPG?) COBOL program receiving the parm or COBOL module/procedure? And it shouldn't make a difference, but OS version/release?

Tom

by: Andy400Posted on 2009-10-26 at 20:52:53ID: 25669027

Hi tliotta,
Thanks for responce.
I am writting a cobol/400 program. TypeCBLLE.(OS/400-V5R3)
The program will be invoked from GUI screen developed using EGL technolgy. The call will be storeprocedue call; which has my COBOL/400 pgm as external object linked to store procedure.
All incomming parameters will be sent in Char format which my cobol/400 willl redefine as per requirements.
Basic issue is
1.Parameter which is passedTO COBOL/400 is in form of array (Dim 15). theses are 15 records in single parameter
2.It needs to be recevied as ARRAY.
I am not sure how to go about it , if any sample code is given it will be most helpfull.

by: tliottaPosted on 2009-11-02 at 17:52:12ID: 25725525

Andy400:

Just to clarify for your use, you are compiling ILE COBOL which should be distinguished from COBOL/400. I'm not sure if COBOL/400 could do this and I'll have to do some research on how ILE COBOL would receive whatever kind(s) of structures that EGL might be attempting to pass. (Your source member type of [CBLLE] should cause the ILE COBOL compiler to be invoked.)

If EGL invokes program objects, then the physical mechanism of parameter passing will be "by reference". That means that the only thing in the actual argument list will be a pointer. Your compiled program would have a LINKAGE SECTION item declared and it would become based on what address was in the pointer.

You don't do any coding for the pointer. You simply place your data definition in the LINKAGE SECTION and reference the data element name in the PROCEDURE DIVISION USING ... statement. If you expect an array, then you code the data definition as an array. A likely structure would consist of an 01-level item that had the actual array definition on a lower-level item within it.

That would be what I would expect -- a single 01-level group item with the array defined at a lower level, a single argument address. I don't EGL available to check that out.

Unfortunately, I can't check out how EGL will structure the array in memory either.

Since (AFAIK) EGL has more COBOL in its heritage than other languages, I would expect that any array would be structured so that a COBOL definition should be fairly obvious.

I don't think there's much more I can say. I could make a guess or two about what some specific LINKAGE SECTION definitions would look like if I knew more about how the array is defined in EGL.

Also, because this is EGL instead of just one program calling another, I can't make the guaranteed assertion that EGL is making a "program call" rather than a "procedure call".

A procedure can have parameters passed "by reference" or "by value". If EGL can access procedures, then the COBOL _might_ expect arguments to arrive "by value". I figure that to be less likely enough to ignore it for now.

So, what exactly is the "problem"? Are you needing to learn how to code in COBOL? Are you choosing COBOL other than some other language for a reason? Do you have background in iSeries programming?

I see that this is i5/OS V5R3 (previously OS/400). You are aware that V5R3 is no longer supported by IBM, right? Can you determine if all relevant PTFs have been applied?

Tom

by: Andy400Posted on 2009-11-03 at 19:25:28ID: 25736137

Tom,

Thanks for the response, apologies for late reply.

I do have coding exp in RPG/LE around 4 years, but I am very new in Cobol/400 coding.
Writing is COBOL is mandatory as current application is written in that way.
To make it short,
I am passing string in Char (Appx length 250) to COBOL (ILE) program. This program needs to receive it in array format, so that in the PROCEDURE DIVISION USING ..Statement it receives it that way.
I need some practical example which works. If a code sample is posted then it will be a great help.

Here you can assume that a char string as parameter is passed to Cobol program which is called from command line. If this works I can take care of EGL thing.

Thanks in advance.
Andy

by: Gary_The_IT_ProPosted on 2009-11-18 at 19:09:33ID: 25857242

Warning - I've done a some COBOL maintenance and troubleshooting, but I'm not a COBOL expert.

That said, check out the topic "Grouping Data to be Passed" starting on page 225:

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r3/topic/books/sc092540.pdf

The CALLING program can just pass a single parameter of the correct length to the CALLED program (e.g. 15 rows x 80 characters would pass a single 120-byte parameter),

Sample CALLED program below.

- Gary Patterson

Check out my EE profile: http://www.experts-exchange.com/M_4382324.html

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.                       
 PROGRAM-ID. PARMDEMO.                          
                                                
 DATA DIVISION.                                 
 WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.                       
 LINKAGE SECTION.                               
 01 PARM-LIST.                                  
    05 MY-LIST PIC X(80) OCCURS 15 TIMES.
       
**********************************************                                                
*** Demonstrate parameter passing into an array    
**********************************************                                                 
 PROCEDURE DIVISION USING BY REFERENCE PARM-LIST
 MAIN-LINE.                                     
    DISPLAY "First line:".                       
    DISPLAY MY-LIST(1).                         
    DISPLAY "Last line:".                        
    DISPLAY MY-LIST(15).                        
    STOP RUN.                                    
 ===> CRTBNDCBL PGM(mylib/PARMDEMO) SRCFILE(mylib/QCBLLESRC) SRCMBR(PARMDEMO)
 ===> ADDLIBLE mylib
 ===> call qcmd   
     /* Then press F11 for a full screen, with convenient 80-byte lines */
     /* Here's the call with a 120-byte parm all spaced out to look good in the command entry screen */ 
 ===> call parmdemo                                                       PARM('
This is the first line.                                                         
This is the second.                                                             
Third.                                                                          
4th                                                                             
5th                                                                             
6                                                                               
7                                                                               
8                                                                               
9                                                                               
10                                                                              
11                                                                              
12                                                                              
13                                                                              
14th                                                                            
This is the fifteenth line.                                                     
')

1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10:
11:
12:
13:
14:
15:
16:
17:
18:
19:
20:
21:
22:
23:
24:
25:
26:
27:
28:
29:
30:
31:
32:
33:
34:
35:
36:
37:
38:
39:
40:
41:
42:
43:
44:
45:

Select all Open in new window

by: Andy400Posted on 2009-11-20 at 05:54:48ID: 31645768

Thanks a lot.

Question

Passing Array as parameter in COBOL/400, is it possible?

Subscribe now for full access to Experts Exchange and get

Instant Access to this Solution

COBOL/400

Arrays

COBOL Programming Language

RPG Programming Language

Programming Languages

Trusted by hundreds of thousands everyday for fast, accurate and reliable tech support.

See what Experts Exchange can do for you.

Got a question?

We've got the answer.

Need individual assistance?

Our experts are ready to help.

Want to learn from the best?

Read articles from industry experts.

Working on a long term project?

Store your work and research.

What Makes Experts Exchange Unique?

Trusted by the world's most respected brands.

Faithfully serving IT professionals since 1996.

Related Solutions

Free Tech Articles

Cloud Class Webinars

Join the Community

Give a Little. Get a Lot.

Answers

3 Ways to Join

The Experts

The Experts

Testimonials

Testimonials

Testimonials

Business Clients

Business Clients

In the Press

In the Press

In the Press