What is new in Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.4 and COBOL 6.4 with PTFs installed

Improved COBOL/Java interoperability

PH48453: New sample files demonstrating a COBOL/Java interoperable application and how to build it are provided in the demo subdirectory of the COBOL install directory in the z/OS UNIX file system. (Example: COBPROD application)

PH49715: A new cjbuild command reference section is added to address various usability and stability issues relating to the non-OO Java/COBOL interoperability. (cjbuild command reference)

PH51752: A new sample JCL is provided to demonstrate how a non-OO COBOL/Java interoperable application can be built and run entirely using JCL. (Sample JCL for building and running the COBPROD application)

PH53631: Enhanced the ON EXCEPTION phrase support to deal with exceptions in the non-OO COBOL/Java interoperability framework. (Handling errors in Java-interoperable COBOL applications)

Interoperability between AMODE 31 (31-bit) and AMODE 64 (64-bit) COBOL programs

AMODE 64 (64-bit) COBOL applications can interoperate with your existing AMODE 31 (31-bit) COBOL applications. Dynamic call is supported in a mixed AMODE 31/AMODE 64 environment. (COBOL applications with mixed AMODE 31 and AMODE 64 programs)

Runtime APAR PH59864 (V2R5 or later): When PTFs for LE APAR PH56800 and COBOL Runtime APAR PH59864 are installed on z/OS 2.5 or later systems where COBOL programs run, the AMODE 31 subprograms called by the caller program can be either a DLL or a non-DLL. (Dynamic call between AMODE 31 and AMODE 64 programs)

User-defined functions support

You can define your own functions by specifying a FUNCTION-ID paragraph in the IDENTIFICATION DIVISION and invoke them by using a reference to a function identifier. This is part of the 2002 COBOL Standard.

Function prototypes support

PH57397: With a function prototype, you can define the function name, parameters, and returning value of a user-defined function or other non-COBOL external functions such as C functions and invoke these functions. This is part of the 2014 COBOL Standard.

Enhanced UTF-8 support

PH48667: When you use the figurative constant HIGH-VALUE in a context that requires UTF-8 characters, its value is UTF-8 character UX'F48FBFBF' corresponding to Unicode code point U+10FFFF, except when HIGH-VALUE is used in a move or compare operation with a fixed byte-length UTF-8 data item that has a length that is not a multiple of 4 bytes. (Using UTF-8-character figurative constants)

PH57297: You can use UTF-8 (PIC U) data items as the arguments to the STRING and UNSTRING statements. (STRING statement and UNSTRING statement)

Note: COBOL Runtime LE APAR PH57264 (for AMODE 31) or APAR PH57265 (for AMODE 64) must also be applied on all systems where programs that make use of this new feature are linked or run.

PH57400: You can use dynamic-length and UTF-8 (PIC U) data items as the arguments to the JSON GENERATE and JSON PARSE statements. (JSON GENERATE statement and JSON PARSE statement)

Note: COBOL Runtime LE APAR PH57152 must also be applied on all systems where programs that make use of this new feature are linked or run.

JSON enhancements

• PH57398: You can use the ENCODING phrase of the JSON GENERATE and JSON PARSE statements to specify the encoding of the JSON document. (JSON GENERATE statement and JSON PARSE statement)
  Note: COBOL Runtime LE APAR PH57152 must also be applied on all systems where programs that make use of this new feature are linked or run.
• PH58384: You can use the NAME IS OMITTED phrase to parse an anonymous JSON array in addition to an anonymous JSON object. (JSON GENERATE statement and JSON PARSE statement)
• PH59733: You can generate and parse JSON null values by using the JSON GENERATE and JSON PARSE statements. (Generating JSON null values and Handling JSON null values)

Improved integration with IBM Automatic Binary Optimizer for z/OS (ABO)

Compiler option changes

New compiler options

SMARTBIN

Use SMARTBIN to instruct the compiler to generate modules containing additional binary metadata that enables them to be optimized by IBM® Automatic Binary Optimizer (ABO) for z/OS 2.2. (SMARTBIN)

JAVAIOP

Use JAVAIOP to control the behavior of COBOL programs that interoperate with Java through the JAVA-CALLABLE or JAVA-SHAREABLE directives or by calling Java static methods using the CALL statement. (JAVAIOP)

CONDCOMP

PH50296: CONDCOMP compiler option is introduced to control how conditional code will be displayed in the listing. (CONDCOMP)

Modified compiler options

ARCH

ARCH(8) and ARCH(9) are no longer accepted. A new higher level of ARCH(14) is accepted. ARCH(10) is the default. (ARCH)

RULES

If there are multiple RULES specifications for a compilation, the suboptions are additive, which means they are accumulated. (RULES)

TUNE

TUNE(8) and TUNE(9) are no longer accepted. A new higher level of TUNE(14) is accepted. TUNE(10) is the default if ARCH is not specified. (TUNE)

NUMCHECK

The NUMCHECK compiler option is updated to avoid generating runtime checking code of zoned-decimal senders in MOVE statements when the receiver is an alphanumeric data item and NUMCHECK(ZON(LAX)) is in effect.

PH50295: The NUMCHECK compiler option is updated to avoid generating runtime checking code of zoned decimal senders in MOVE statements when the receiver is an alphanumeric data item and NUMCHECK(ZON(LAX))is in effect.(NUMCHECK)

Runtime changes

PERFORM … UNTIL EXIT support

You can specify EXIT in place of a condition in a PERFORM statement. If the UNTIL phrase with the EXIT reserved word is specified, execution proceeds exactly as if the same PERFORM statement were coded with condition-1 specified, except that condition-1 never evaluates as true. (PERFORM with UNTIL phrase)

VSAM dynamic access optional logic path

PH56036 and PH56037: An optional alternate logic path is introduced for VSAM files that use the ACCESS IS DYNAMIC mode. The alternate logic path uses a direct read-by-key request instead of a point to a record by key. (VSAM dynamic access optional logic path)

New runtime options

PH56036 and PH56037: The following COBOL runtime options are added:

• VSAMDYNAMICDIR: Changes the dynamic access method of VSAM to a direct read-by-key request. (VSAMDYNAMICDIR)
• DISABLEUOPTREPORT: Suppresses the COBOL runtime options report. (DISABLEUOPTREPORT)

Debugging enhancement

You can use ddname IGZPROUT at the run step of your JCL to generate a report of all dynamically called programs that are compiled with Enterprise COBOL 5 or later. (Generating a report of dynamically called COBOL programs)

Usability enhancement

PH56142: When compiling under z/OS UNIX, you can use the cob2 -M option to generate a make dependency file, file.u. This file contains entries for each copybook file that resides in a z/OS UNIX file system and is referenced in your COBOL source file. (cob2 syntax and options)

Compiler message changes

New messages

• IGYCB7035-S: FPR save area offset limit(4095) exceeded (FASTLINK limitation). Offset is &1. Reduce incoming parameter size in function &2. (IGYCB7035-S)
• IGYCB7155-U: Register \"&1\" is reserved by the compiler and cannot be used in the code. (IGYCB7155-U)
• IGYCB7301-W: A zero base was raised to a zero power in a numeric literal exponentiation. The result was set to 1. (IGYCB7301-W)
• IGYCB7302-W: A zero base was raised to a negative power in a numeric literal exponentiation. The result was set to 0. (IGYCB7302-W)
• IGYCB7305-U: The COBOL-specific run time library was not available at compile time. Please add SCEERUN to the concatenation for the compile step. (IGYCB7305-U)
• IGYCB7319-S: The target FUNCTION-POINTER or PROCEDURE-POINTER in the CALL statement on line &1 is NULL. (IGYCB7319-S)

Changed messages

• IGYCB7314-E: The value of data item &1 at statement number &2 on line &3 was invalid. The value exceeded the number of digits in the data definition, and failed the SIZE ERROR test generated by the NUMCHECK(BIN) compiler option. (IGYCB7314-E)

Prefer video?