Enhanced functionality

In addition to the performance improvements offered on your existing programs through architecture exploitation and advanced optimizations, COBOL V6 also offers enhanced functionality in several areas.

Highlights in Version 6 Release 3

Changes in IBM® Enterprise COBOL for z/OS®, Version 6 Release 3 in the Enterprise COBOL for z/OS Migration Guide contains a complete list of new and changed functions in Enterprise COBOL V6.3. Some highlights are:
  • Support for creating AMODE 64 (64-bit) batch applications.
  • Improved processing of UTF-8 data by supporting the UTF-8 data type.
  • Support for the FUNCTION specifier INTRINSIC in the REPOSITORY paragraph. This is part of the 2002 COBOL Standard.
  • Support for the DYNAMIC LENGTH clause to specify a dynamic-length elementary item. This is part of the 2014 COBOL Standard.

V6.3 continues to support all of the new features introduced in V6.2, V6.1, and V5.

Highlights in Version 6 Release 2

Changes in IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS, Version 6 Release 2 in the Enterprise COBOL for z/OS Migration Guide contains a complete list of new and changed functions in Enterprise COBOL V6.2. Some highlights are:

  • Support for parsing JSON using the new JSON PARSE statement
  • Support for conditional compilation using the new IF, EVALUATE, and DEFINE directives
  • Support for controlling the inlining of PERFORM statements using the new INLINE directive (only available in V6.2) and option (also available in V6.1 with service PTFs)
  • Support for detecting invalid numeric data using the new NUMCHECK option (also available in V6.1 with service PTFs)
  • Support for detecting corruption beyond the end of working storage caused by mismatched parameter blocks using the new PARMCHECK option (also available in V6.1 with service PTFs)

V6.2 continues to support all of the new features introduced in V6.1 and V5.

Highlights in Version 6 Release 1

Some highlights in V6.1 are:
  • Support for the new ALLOCATE and FREE statements to obtain and release dynamic storage
  • Enhancements to the INITIALIZE statement to support FILLER and VALUE clauses
  • Support for generating JSON using the new GENERATE JSON statement
  • Support for the new VSAMOPENFS and SUPPRESS options
  • Enhancements to the SSRANGE option
V6.1 continues to support all of the new features introduced in V5.