Comparing COBOL and Language Environment runtime options

Table 1. COBOL and Language Environment runtime options
COBOL option Language Environment equivalent Notes:
AIXBLD | NOAIXBLD AIXBLD | NOAIXBLD Invokes the access methods services for VSAM indexed and relative data sets to complete the file and index definition procedures for COBOL routines.

Under z/OS, Access Method Services (AMS) messages are directed to the ddname specified in the Language Environment runtime option MSGFILE. Under CMS, the messages are erased, which is the same behavior as VS COBOL II.

AIXBLD | NOAIXBLD is not applicable under CICS®.
DEBUG | NODEBUG DEBUG | NODEBUG DEBUG | NODEBUG provides behavior compatible with VS COBOL II.
FLOW | NOFLOW FLOW | NOFLOW FLOW | NOFLOW provides behavior compatible with VS COBOL II.
LANGUAGE NATLANG NATLANG replaces LANGUAGE, which is a VS COBOL II installation option. You can select a national language at run time or installation time by using the NATLANG option.
LIBKEEP | NOLIBKEEP Not applicable LIBKEEP | NOLIBKEEP is not supported inLanguage Environment and is not applicable in CICS.

To obtain similar function, use the Library Routine Retention (LRR) feature. For more information, see Language Environment library routine retention (LRR) in z/OS Language Environment Programming Guide.

For more information about using LRR in an IMS/TM environment, see Initializing library routine retention in z/OS Language Environment Customization.
MIXRES | NOMIXRES Not applicable MIXRES | NOMIXRES is not supported under Language Environment and is not applicable under CICS.

Mixed RES and NORES applications when linked with Language Environment® will exhibit RES-like behavior. For more information, see the appropriate version of the COBOL migration guide in the COBOL library at Enterprise COBOL for z/OS library.
QUEUE Not applicable QUEUE is not supported under Language Environment.
RTEREUS | NORTEREUS RTEREUS | NORTEREUS RTEREUS is not recommended as an installation default. Use RTEREUS only for specific applications and ensure that you understand the possible side effects, for example:
  • Under Language Environment, RTEREUS(ON) is only supported in a single enclave environment. Applications that create multiple enclaves will terminate with error message IGZ0168S. Multiple enclaves can be created by applications that use SVC LINK or CMSCALL to invoke application programs. One example is when an SVC LINK is used to invoke an application program under ISPF that is using ISPF services (such as CALL 'ISPLINK' and ISPF SELECT).
  • If a Language Environment reusable environment is established (using RTEREUS), attempts to run a C or PL/I main program under Language Environment will fail. For example, when running on ISPF with RTEREUS(ON):
    • The first program invoked by ISPF is a COBOL program; a Language Environment reusable environment is established.
    • At another point, ISPF invokes a PL/I or C program; the initialization of the PL/I or C program will fail.
  • If many COBOL programs are run under the same z/OS task, out of storage abends might occur. This occurs because all storage acquired by Language Environment to run COBOL programs is kept until the z/OS task ends or the Language Environment environment terminates.
  • Language Environment does not produce storage and runtime options reports unless STOP RUN is issued to end the enclave.
SIMVRD | NOSIMVRD SIMVRD | NOSIMVRD SIMVRD | NOSIMVRD provides behavior compatible with the VS COBOL II SIMVRD | NOSIMVRD option.

COBOL V5 and later programs do not support SIMVRD.
SPOUT | NOSPOUT RPTOPTS(ON | OFF), RPTSTG(ON | OFF) Storage reports are directed to the ddname specified in the Language Environment option MSGFILE. For more information, see the appropriate version of the COBOL migration guide in the COBOL library at Enterprise COBOL for z/OS library.
SSRANGE | NOSSRANGE CHECK(ON | OFF) CHECK(ON | OFF) provides behavior compatible with SSRANGE | NOSSRANGE.

CHECK does not have any effect for COBOL V5 and later programs.
STAE | NOSTAE
TRAP(ON,SPIE)
TRAP(OFF)
 If STAE | NOSTAE is specified in input, then TRAP is set according to the option: TRAP(ON,SPIE) for STAE, and TRAP(OFF) for NOSTAE. TRAP(ON,SPIE) is the recommended setting.
UPSI UPSI UPSI provides behavior compatible with the VS COBOL II UPSI option.
WSCLEAR | NOWSCLEAR STORAGE(00,,,) For behavior similar to WSCLEAR | NOWSCLEAR, use the Language Environment STORAGE(00,,,) option.