Changes in IBM® Enterprise COBOL for z/OS®, Version 6 Release 3

Compiler option changes

  • The following compiler option is new:
    • LP: The new LP compiler option can be used to indicate whether an AMODE 31 (31-bit) or AMODE 64 (64-bit) program should be generated with the related language features enabled. LP(32) is the default.
  • The following compiler options are modified:
    • ARCH: ARCH(7) is no longer accepted. A new higher level of ARCH(13) is accepted. ARCH(8) is the default.
    • NUMCHECK: Regardless of whether NUMCHECK(MSG) or NUMCHECK(ABD) is in effect, invalid data found at compile time will produce a compile-time error message and the check will be removed.

AMODE 64 support

You can use Enterprise COBOL to develop AMODE 31 (31-bit) or AMODE 64 (64-bit) applications. Adapt your code as appropriate for your applications to support the 64-bit environment.

Language element changes

  • A DYNAMIC LENGTH clause is supported to specify a dynamic-length elementary item. A dynamic-length elementary item is a data item whose length might change at run time. This is part of the 2014 COBOL Standard.
  • A UTF-8 phrase is added to the USAGE clause to indicate a new UTF-8 data type. A picture symbol 'U' that indicates UTF-8 character data is also added. The new USAGE indicates a new class of data (UTF-8) and a new category of data (UTF-8).
  • A POINTER-32 phrase is added to the USAGE clause, which can be used to define pointer data items or data-pointers. The POINTER-32 data item is a 4-byte elementary data item regardless of the LP, compiler option setting, and can be used in both LP(32) and LP(64).
  • The REPOSITORY paragraph FUNCTION specifier INTRINSIC allows declaration of intrinsic function names that may be used without specifying the word FUNCTION. This is part of the 2002 COBOL Standard.

Listing changes

Listing terminologies change as follows:
  • Static map is changed to initial heap storage map.
  • Writeable static area (WSA) is changed to storage.
  • WSA24 is changed to below the line storage.
  • Automatic map is changed to stack storage map.

Compiler phases in shared storage changes

  • The installation customization for placing compiler phases into shared storage is removed.

Use of file-name in CALL ... USING statement

Programs can no longer pass a file-name to a subprogram with the USING phrase of the CALL statement.