Create a CB2XML.properties File if Descriptions Exceed the Maximum Length

The maximum length allowed for any Map Editor Description (used if there are REDEFINES and unsupported data formats in the copybook file) is 71 characters. To configure CB2XML to allow characters to be converted from COBOL to XML beyond this character limit in the COBOL source file, you need to create a file named cb2xml.properties that contains a column.end property that will be used when CB2XML is invoked to convert the copybook. When CB2XML is invoked, it searches for the cb2xml.properties file and, if CB2XML finds this file, it uses the properties in the file to specify to CB2XML how wide the lines are for conversion to XML and subsequent import into the Sterling B2B Integrator Map Editor.

You will want to create a cb2xml.properties file if, for example, the Description values are less than 71 characters and appear to have been truncated (or are incomplete). If this occurs, it would be appropriate for you to create a cb2xml.properties file to increase the number of characters per line that is read by CB2XML. However, if the Description values are already 71 characters in length and appear to have been truncated, you would not create a cb2xml.properties file because the maximum Description length has already been reached (and thus the cb2xml.properties file would be superfluous).

Note: Regardless of what you set the column.end parameter to in the cb2xml.properties file, Sterling B2B Integrator Map Editor uses only the first 71 characters for the Description or Additional Notes parameters.

To create a cb2xml.properties file:

  1. Using a text editor, create a file named cb2xml.properties.
  2. Save this file in the same directory as the COBOL copybook file that you will convert and import.
  3. Add the following contents to the properties file: 
    
column.start=6
column.end=XX
    Note: Change XX to specify to CB2XML how wide the lines are that it is converting from copybook source to XML.
  4. Save the cb2xml.properties file in the same directory where the COBOL copybook source file you want to convert is located.