The COBOL V6.3 documentation is now available at IBM knowledge center: https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SS6SG3_6.3.0/welcome.html .   Some highlights are: Add support for exploiting z15 through the ARCH(13) compiler option : https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SS6SG3_6.3.0/pg/ui/up0122.html Improved efficiency in processing UTF-8 data by supporting the UTF-8 data type : UTF-8 literals: https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SS6SG3_6.3.0/lr/ref/rllanutf8.html Processing UTF-8 data by using UTF-8 data types:... [More]

Tags:  documentation kc v6.3

IBM z15 is launched today! Enterprise COBOL for z/OS, V6.3 also delivers advanced compiler support that allows you to fully benefit from the latest IBM Z mainframe advancements.   Watch the following video to get a quick glance at COBOL V6.3:    

Tags:  highlights v6.3 new z15

Scenario: A data file contains dates listed repeatedly many times in a horizontal line entry with the YYYYMMDD format. An exe reads from that data file when compiled with V3.1. But however, after compiling with V5.1. the exe produces the trace below.   However, if the dates in the data file are re-arranged one by one vertically (ie one date per line), the exe runs  successfully when compiled with V5.1.    Why is this the case?   Traceback: <Thread 1> <Thread 1>  Traceback: <Thread 1>    Offset 0x00000694 in procedure... [More]

Enterprise COBOL for z/OS, V6.2, V6.1, V5.2, and V5.1.1 documentation are refreshed today, to include the following enhancements:   Enhancements for V6.2 with PTFs installed (For a complete list of Enterprise COBOL PTFs, check http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27041164 ): In Enterprise COBOL V6.2 with PTF for APAR PH05855 installed, a new INITIAL compiler option allows you to get a program that has initial values in data items each time the program is called, without having to add the IS INITIAL clause to the PROGRAM-ID... [More]

Tags:  doc zos refresh cobol

The end of service dates for IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS v4 and v5 were recently announced . Clients who are currently using these versions of the compiler are encouraged to plan and start their migration to COBOL v6 as soon as possible. There are 29 months to complete the migration before COBOL v4 goes out of service in September 2021. Plan your migration by attending a free COBOL Migration and Performance workshop - register  here . If the dates currently available do not work for you, bookmark the registration page and check back later for... [More]

Starting with the IBM Automatic Binary Optimizer for z/OS (ABO) V1.3 continuous delivery PTF,  released Jan 27, 2019 , you can now use ABO to optimize modules built with the CMPR2 compiler option.  The CMPR2 compiler option was available in COBOL compilers VS COBOL II V3 up to COBOL for OS/390®  V2 and allowed COBOL code conforming to the 74 COBOL standard to be successfully compiled.  Enterprise COBOL does not support this option and requires that code is migrated to the 85 COBOL standard.  Clients with programs compiled with the CMPR2 option... [More]

Feb 21st at 1pm CT: Lamar Woods from IBM will share " The 6 W's of The Automatic Binary Optimizer " (Give COBOL a Kick in the Binaries) Register for the webinar  here  

On Feb 5, 2019, IBM announced the end of service dates  ( revised announcement here ) for Enterprise COBOL v4.2, Enterprise COBOL v5.1, Enterprise COBOL v5.2 and ABO v1.2.    Products to be withdrawn from service on April 30, 2020: IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS                                 5.1.x    5655-W32 IBM Enterprise COBOL Developer Trial for z/OS        5.1.x    5655-TRY IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS                                 5.2.0    5655-W32 IBM Enterprise COBOL Developer Trial for z/OS        5.2.0    5655-TRY IBM Enterprise... [More]

The IBM Automatic Binary Optimizer for z/OS, V1.3 Knowledge Center got refreshed in January 2019. Updates mainly include: Adds support for COBOL modules that are built with the CMPR2 compiler option. (See COBOL language feature and compiler option support ) Adds information on alternate ABO invocations. (See Invoking ABO from TSO, REXX and assembler code ) Adds information on required record format for OPTLOG and OPTERR, and the data sets specified by the LOG option. (See LOG and JCL sample ) Clarifies the IEFOPZ configuration activation steps.... [More]

Tags:  doc_refresh abo

The  COBOL for AIX, V5.1.0.7 Fix Pack (December 2018)  is now available at the following links and on  Fix Central : CO B O L  f o r  A I X, V5 . 1 .0 .7  F i x   P a c k  (December  2 01 8 ) CO B O L Runtime  f o r  A I X, V5 . 1 .0 .7  F i x   P a c k  (December  2 01 8 ) F i x   l i s t   f o r   C O B O L   f o r   A I X Fixed APARs are listed on the 'Fix list' page, along with links to all COBOL for AIX Fix Packs.  Please... [More]

  Question: After upgrading from a COBOL for AIX version prior to V4.1.1, the COBOL COBRTOPT command no longer parses an  entire EBCDIC input file. Why does it parse only the first record and just end as if it only has one record?  This used to work with the older compiler version such as V4.1.0.   Answer: The reason why the test case only reads 1 record, is because of a design change in COBOL for AIX, V4.1.1 (and later) when the FILESYS(RSD) file-system is specified.     Each record would be read by... [More]

Enterprise COBOL for z/OS, V6.2, V6.1, V5.2, and V5.1.1 documentation are refreshed today, to include the following enhancements:   Enhancements for V6.2 with PTFs installed (For a complete list of Enterprise COBOL PTFs, check http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27041164 ): In Enterprise COBOL V6.2 with PTF for APAR PH04369 installed, RULES(NOEVENPACK) will not issue messages for even-digit PACKED-DECIMAL data items whose names start with DFH, DSN, EYU or SQL, that is, data items generated for/by CICS and Db2. For details, see:... [More]

Tags:  kc_refresh doc_refresh cobol-for-zos

  Problem: Clients are facing issues when trying to use the Watch Breakpoint functionality of the IBM Debugger while debugging a COBOL for AIX program. The issue is that the Watch Breakpoint never triggers when it is supposed too.   Description: Let me begin by briefly describing what Watch Breakpoints are: Watch breakpoints are breakpoints that users can set in the IBM Debugger to monitor changes in the data  at a specific memory address. Watch Breakpoints are triggered when execution changes data in that specific memory address... [More]

Watch this demo to know how to use IBM Doc Buddy V2.2 to find COBOL messages, search COBOL documentation in IBM Knowledge Center, read COBOL whitepapers and presentations, as well as reading COBOL influencer (Tom Ross)'s blogs. Refer to the timestamps below to navigate to specific topics. 0:10 Find messages and solutions 0:37 Get red alerts 1:07 Find product documentation in IBM KC 1:50 Find the latest technical sessions and download whitepapers 2:25 Read blogs and watch videos  

Tags:  doc_buddy