Changes in GC27-8715-01 (December 2021)

This topic lists the major changes that have been made to this document since Enterprise COBOL for z/OS® 6.2.

For a complete list of new and improved features in Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.2 and COBOL 6.2 with PTFs installed, see What is new in Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.2 and COBOL 6.2 with PTFs installed in the Enterprise COBOL for z/OS What's New.

Clarified the performance impact of decimal overflows in Performance of decimal overflows.

Changes in GC27-8715-01 (February 2021)

The installation customization for placing compiler phases into shared storage is removed.
Added General Availability (GA) and End of Support (EOS) dates for each COBOL compiler version in COBOL compiler versions, required runtimes, and support information.

Clarified that TRAP(ON) must be in effect when messages IGZ0268W and IGZ0269W have been issued in Taking an inventory of your applications.

Updated the INSPECT...TALLYING behavior example in COBOL source code differences in Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6.
Added frequently asked questions (FAQs) and their answers in Compatibility, Compiling with Enterprise COBOL, Subsystems, and Performance.

A new option QSAMBUFFINITCHAR is added to the IGZUOPT module that allows you to control the initial character used for QSAM buffer initialization. For details, see Controlling initialization of QSAM buffer (IGZ4OPT). This support can be obtained in Enterprise COBOL Version 6 Release 2 with runtime LE PTF for APAR PH25917 installed.
Updated the references to PPA4 layout and WORKING-STORAGE location in WORKING-STORAGE SECTION changes.
Clarified the background of IBM® Report Writer, and added support details and version requirement in COBOL Report Writer Precompiler.

New suboptions LAX | STRICT are added to the INITCHECK option to control whether the compiler will issue warning messages for data items unless they are initialized on at least one, or on all, logical paths to a statement. For details, see Compiler option changes in Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6. This change is introduced in Enterprise COBOL Version 6 Release 2 with PTF for APAR PH24413 installed.
Clarified INSPECT...TALLYING behavior changes in COBOL source code differences in Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6.
Provided details about migrating from PDS data sets to PDSE data sets in Move PDS data sets to PDSE data sets.
Clarified that programs compiled with TEST(...,NOSEPARATE) under CICS® require read access to DFHRPL libraries in DFHRPL setup differences with Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6.
Added a link to the COBOL Migration Information Portal, where you can find information about COBOL migration all in one place. For details, see COBOL compiler versions, required runtimes, and support information.
Updated IBM Developer for z Systems® to IBM Developer for z/OS in Accessibility features for Enterprise COBOL for z/OS.

The support for NOBLKSET and the conventional merge method for Enterprise COBOL V5 or later versions is obtained with runtime LE PTFs UI67483(V2R2)/UI67485(V2R3)/UI67486(V2R4) installed. For details, see Using DFSORT option NOBLKSET.
Added questions frequently asked before migration and their answers in FAQs before migration.

Added information about the new INITIAL compiler option in Compiler option changes in Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6. The changes are introduced in Enterprise COBOL Version 6 Release 2 with PTF for APAR PH05855 installed.
Added an FAQ and answer about the changes in compiler generated symbols between Enterprise COBOL V4 and V5 or V6 in Binding (link-editing) Enterprise COBOL programs.
Added a support page link where lists the Enterprise COBOL V4 PTFs to support the migration to Enterprise COBOL 5 or 6. For details, see Upgrading from Enterprise COBOL Version 4.

Updated and further clarified how to find WORKING-STORAGE SECTION in Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6. For details, see WORKING-STORAGE SECTION changes.

Added information about two new suboptions ALPHNUM and NOALPHNUM of the NUMCHECK(ZON) compiler option, which control whether the compiler will generate code for an implicit numeric class test for zoned decimal data items that are being compared with an alphanumeric data item, alphanumeric literal or alphanumeric figurative constant. The changes are introduced in Enterprise COBOL Version 6 Release 2 with PTF for APAR PI98480 installed.
Replaced the Edge Portfolio Analyzer with a free and open source COBOL Analyzer. For details, see Free and open source COBOL Analyzer.
Clarified that compiler migration is required for OS/VS COBOL programs and VS COBOL II programs compiled with NORES in Compiler migration.
Corrected the description of offset X'2C' in the PPA4 layout in WORKING-STORAGE SECTION changes.

Updated information in CSD setup differences with Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6 because certain CICS TS versions provide the system autoinstall capability for LE programs and CICS will create the program definition automatically when the programs are first loaded.
Clarified that the separate CICS translator is still shipped with current CICS products but is no longer being enhanced in Migrating from the separate CICS translator to the integrated translator.

Added information about the new COPYLOC compiler option in Compiler option changes in Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6. The changes are introduced in Enterprise COBOL Version 6 Release 2 with PTF for APAR PI91584 installed.
Added information about new suboptions in the RULES compiler option in Compiler option changes in Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6. The changes are introduced in Enterprise COBOL Version 6 Release 2 with PTFs for APAR PI91585 and PI91586 installed.

Updated behaviour of the ZONEDATA compiler option in Compiler option changes in Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6. This change is introduced in Enterprise COBOL Version 6 Release 2 with PTF for APAR PI90571 installed.
Clarified the IGZEBST requirements in Overview of the Enterprise COBOL for z/OS compilers and z/OS Language Environment runtime and several other topics.

Added information about Enterprise COBOL V6.2 changes to the chapter Changes with Enterprise COBOL Version 6, and the changes mainly fall into the following topics:
Updated information about the z/OS MEMLIMIT changes in Enterprise COBOL V6. (Changes in compiling with Enterprise COBOL 5 and 6)
Updated information about how to locate the WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. (WORKING-STORAGE SECTION changes)