Free-format COBOL source files

IBM® COBOL for Linux® on x86 suppresses some messages that are related to enforcing fixed-format source code.

When you use IBM COBOL for Linux on x86 to compile source code that contains free-format COBOL source, you will receive the error messages in the following example:

$ cat tcFreeFormat.cbl
000100 IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
000200 PROGRAM-ID. FreeFormat.
000300 ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
000400 DATA DIVISION.
000500
000600 PROCEDURE DIVISION.
000700 BEGIN-MY-PROGRAM.
000800 DISPLAY "COBOL for Linux on x86 1.2.0...".
000900 STOP RUN.

$ cob2 tcFreeFormat.cbl
IBM COBOL for Linux 1.2.0 compile started
0LineID  Message code  Message text
      8  IGYPS0009-E   "DISPLAY" should not begin in area "A".  It was processed as if found 
                       in area "B".                                                          
      9  IGYPS0009-E   "STOP" should not begin in area "A".  It was processed as if found in 
                       area "B".                                                             
-Messages    Total    Informational    Warning    Error    Severe    Terminating
0Printed:       2                                    2                      
End of compilation 1,  program FREEFORMAT,  highest severity: Error.
Return code 8
You can rewrite your source in fixed format, or use scu to convert your source from free-format source to fixed-format source:
$ cat sol-tcFreeFormat.cbl
000100 IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
000200 PROGRAM-ID. FreeFormat.
000300 ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.
000400 DATA DIVISION.
000500           
000600 PROCEDURE DIVISION.
000700 BEGIN-MY-PROGRAM.
000800     DISPLAY "COBOL for Linux on x86 1.2.0...".
000900     STOP RUN.