PH25371: Unnecessary conversion to packed decimal and back to binary when moving from COMP-5 doubleword to doubleword

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• When moving from a PIC 9(18) COMP-5 (unsigned doubleword native
  binary) item to another item of the same attributes, the
  compiler generates a lengthy conversion to packed decimal and
  back to binary. While the results are correct, this holdover
  from earlier compilers is redundant for native binary and could
  be replaced by a simple direct move for better performance.
  
  This conversion process may also lead to intermediate value
  truncation taking place, which in contexts where hardware
  overflow is enabled can lead to noticeably poor performance at
  ARCH(12), due to the runtime needing to ignore the overflow per
  COBOL semantics.
  

Local fix

• Compile at ARCH(11)
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: Users of Enterprise COBOL 6.3 compiling and  *
  *                 running programs that contain a MOVE         *
  *                 statement involving a COMP-5 sender with a   *
  *                 decimal precision of 0 and an integer        *
  *                 precision of at least 10 and a COMP-5        *
  *                 receiver of any valid precision.             *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Compiler issues warning messages        *
  *                      'MSGIGYCB7318-W A reference-modifier    *
  *                      start value exceeded the number of      *
  *                      characters in X' or 'MSGIGYCB7317-W     *
  *                      A reference-modification length value   *
  *                      caused reference to be made beyond the  *
  *                      rightmost character of X'.              *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION: Apply the IBM-provided PTF.                  *
  ****************************************************************
  The compiler was generating unnecessary conversion of the COMP-5
  sender to packed decimal and eventually back to binary as part
  of the move operation.
  

Problem conclusion

• The compiler has been updated to avoid generating unnecessary
  conversions for moves involving COMP-5 senders and receivers
  that have a decimal precision of 0.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

  PH24430

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros

• IGY8RWTU IGYCASMB IGYCCBE  IGYCCCRT IGYCCICS IGYCCSRV IGYCDGEN
  IGYCDIAG IGYCDMAP IGYCEN$0 IGYCEN$1 IGYCEN$2 IGYCEN$3 IGYCEN$4
  IGYCEN$5 IGYCEN$8 IGYCEN$D IGYCEN$R IGYCFGEN IGYCFREE IGYCINIT
  IGYCJA$0 IGYCJA$1 IGYCJA$2 IGYCJA$3 IGYCJA$4 IGYCJA$5 IGYCJA$8
  IGYCJA$D IGYCJA$R IGYCLIBR IGYCLSTR IGYCLVL0 IGYCLVL1 IGYCLVL2
  IGYCLVL3 IGYCLVL8 IGYCMALL IGYCOB2E IGYCOPI  IGYCOSCN IGYCPGEN
  IGYCRCTL IGYCRDPR IGYCRDSC IGYCREAL IGYCRWT  IGYCSCAN IGYCSIMD
  IGYCUE$0 IGYCUE$1 IGYCUE$2 IGYCUE$3 IGYCUE$4 IGYCUE$5 IGYCUE$8
  IGYCUE$D IGYCUE$R IGYCXREF IGYDRV   IGYEQCWI IGYMSGE  IGYMSGK
  IGYMSGT  IGYQCBE  IGYQSPLT IGYZQEN6 IGYZQENU IGYZQJP6 IGYZQJPN
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  ENT COBOL FOR Z

• Fixed component ID

  5655EC600

Applicable component levels

• R630 PSY UI69624

     UP20/05/27 P F005

• R631 PSY UI69625

     UP20/05/27 P F005

• R632 PSY UI69626

     UP20/05/27 P F005

• R63H PSY UI69627

     UP20/05/27 P F005

Fix is available

• Select the PTF appropriate for your component level. You will be required to sign in. Distribution on physical media is not available in all countries.