Editor limitations

There are several limitations with using the editors.

Editor-specific limitations

COBOL, JCL, and PL/I Editors
The Eclipse-based COBOL, JCL, and PL/I Editors do not support use of the Ctrl+_ key combination to split the editors horizontally. This key combination is used for the Unnumber function. To split these editors horizontally use the Window > Editor > Toggle Split Editor (Horizontal) menu item.
HLASM Editor
The following list contains the general limitations of the HLASM Editor. To see limitations specific to individual features, refer to the corresponding HLASM Editor help topic.
  • No support for embedded languages
  • No support for the rename function
  • No support during debug sessions or in code coverage reports
  • If the file you are editing is large or the property group that is associated with it defines a large number of copy libraries, the performance of content assistance and hover help might be affected.
  • The Outline view supports macros that are defined in the Assembler program and local custom macros. Calls to the default SYS1.MACLIB macros are not displayed in the Outline view.
  • Syntax highlighting does not correctly highlight code in these situations:
    • Multiline strings
    • Continuation lines if they do not begin at column 16
    • Noncontinuation lines that begin at column 16
    • Does not recognize continuation lines that begin at column 17 or beyond as comments
  • Reporting of syntax errors is limited. Undeclared variables, for example, do not generate errors.
  • For files that are opened from the Git Repositories view, but not contained in an Eclipse project, the HLASM Editor has these limitations:
    • Syntax errors show in the editor, but the Problems view is not populated.
    • The Outline view is not populated.
  • The syntax error messages are in English, and are not translatable.
  • Although the toolbar includes a Real Time Syntax Checking Real Time Syntax Checking button, it has no function. Use the Disable problems check box on the HLASM Editor preferences page to enable and disable real-time syntax checking.
  • The Open Declaration action can locate symbols that are declared in the current file or in a copy member, but symbols that are declared in macros are not supported.
  • Block commenting is not supported.
  • If you use the Generate ZAPP command for property groups that define macro libraries in either local or remote Assembler files, the macro library definitions are not saved to the ZAPP file.
  • You might receive the error java.io.UncheckedIOException: java.net.BindException: Address already in use: bind in the error log of your workspace. This error is caused by a known LSP4E issue. To work around this issue, kill all java processes and restart the product.
  • If the file you are editing has references to many default macros defined in SYS1.MACLIB, you might experience these issues:
    • Performance problems with the editor.
    • The Outline view might not be displayed.
    • Local macros may not be displayed in the Outline view.
    To resolve these issues, try clearing the Enable resolving macros from SYS1.MACLIB preference and reopening the Assembler file. To locate this preference, open the Preferences window and navigate to HLASM > Editor.
  • If a property group is configured with a local custom macro directory and the macro library is removed from the property group that is associated with an assembler file, the IDz workspace may hang when the assembler file is opened.
    Workaround: Add the macro library to the property group again.
The following functions available for HLASM files in the z Systems LPEX Editor are not supported in the HLASM Editor. This list is not comprehensive.
  • Autosave
  • Block commenting
  • Build errors in the Remote Error List
  • Certain syntax errors, such as unknown instructions, missing labels on branch statements, and tab characters
  • Custom comment handling
  • Remote custom macro support
  • Customized commands for the editor context menu
  • ISPF editor commands
  • JCL Submit command
  • Line break conversions
  • Maintaining column alignment for DBCS editing
  • Nesting display
  • Outline elements from copy members
  • Outline filtering
  • Sequence number support
  • Task tags
  • Templates
REXX Editor
The following list contains the general limitations of the REXX Editor. To see limitations specific to individual features, refer to the corresponding REXX Editor help topic.
  • No support for embedded languages
  • No support for the END keyword as a variable
  • Some color themes may not highlight all symbols correctly
  • Keywords that follow a mixed-case keyword might not be colored correctly. For example, a keyword that follows the keyword ADDRess, might be misidentified as a variable by the editor's syntax coloring.
  • Strings that are missing an end quote do not produce a syntax error
  • No support for the rename function
  • No support for the Toggle Line Comment, Add Block Comment, or Remove Block Comment actions in the Source menu.
  • Files that contain the replacement character (�) are not parsed correctly.
  • Although the toolbar includes a Real Time Syntax Checking Real Time Syntax Checking button, it has no function.
  • You might receive the error java.io.UncheckedIOException: java.net.BindException: Address already in use: bind in the error log of your workspace. This error is caused by a known LSP4E issue. To work around this issue, kill all java processes and restart the product.
z Systems LPEX Editor
Copy and paste of a single line by using Ctrl+V does not work in the z Systems® LPEX Editor in ISPF mode. If you attempt to paste (Ctrl+V) a single copied line (Ctrl+C) when you are editing a COBOL file in the LPEX editor in ISPF mode, the copied text is placed in columns 1 through column 6, and the remaining text is truncated.
On the LPEX command line, executing the command query fields displays a result of 1 7 73 81. This result means that copying and pasting one line using Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V pastes content in columns 1-6, 7-72, 73-80 and 80+ depending on where you place your cursor prior to pasting. To work around this limitation, use Alt+L to select the entire line for copying and paste the entire line to the new line. If only part of the line is needed, you can remove unneeded text by doing one of these steps:
  • Delete the unwanted parts in the new line after you paste it.
  • Copy the portion of text you want to duplicate. Place the cursor in the correct column location where you want to paste the copied text. For example, if the copied content is in columns 1-6, place the cursor in the new line in columns 1 prior to pasting, if your selected content is in columns 7-72, place the cursor in columns 7, and so forth. Paste the copied text at that location.

Function-specific limitations

Bidirectional support
Bidirectional support is not enabled for:
  • Copybooks in the COBOL Editor
  • The PL/I Editor
  • PL/I and assembler files in the z Systems LPEX Editor
  • The Remote C/C++ Editor
  • The Remote Makefile Editor
COBOL parser
The following uses of COBOL line continuations are not supported by the COBOL parser, or have limited support:
  • Line continuations in copybooks
  • Line continuations in EXEC blocks
  • Line continuations in COPY or REPLACE statements
  • Line continuations of line comments
  • Line continuations in picture clauses
Comparing files
The following features are not available in the COBOL Editor, PL/I Editor, and Compare Editor when you compare COBOL or PL/I files:
  • Automatic maintenance of sequence numbers
  • Preventing text modifications that are left of the information margin from shifting sequence numbers out of position.
  • Split tokens are not supported in include statements or exec statements in PL/I programs.
  • Split tokens that include DBCS characters are not supported.
Packed format
When you create a partitioned data set member in ISPF, and set the data set profile option PACK ON to use direct access storage devices (DASD) more efficiently, the editors cannot read the members because of the packed format. You cannot unpack and expand the data using the editors. You must unpack the data set before you attempt to edit members. For more information about using PACK ON, see the related topics.
Token splitting
When editing COBOL and PL/I programs, the editors do not support starting a token on one line and then continuing the same token on the next line. If you type I in the last column of one line, and F in the first column of the next line, the compiler does not interpret that to be an IF token. When editing COBOL and PL/I programs, do not split integer literals or any other tokens across lines.
Note: Splitting string literals across lines is supported.

Shift-out, Shift-in (SOSI) delimiter

EBCDIC double-byte character set (DBCS) text is encoded with shift-out and shift-in (SOSI) bytes to delimit the transition from single-byte characters to double-byte characters. In the editor, the shift-out delimiter is represented by the » symbol, and the shift-in character is represented by the « symbol. Display of SOSI delimiters in the editor text allows the record length and column alignment to be the same as on an EBCDIC system.

SOSI delimiters are displayed automatically in a local or remote file, when a remote DBCS code page is detected for the file. When you type text, you do not need to type SOSI bytes; the editor automatically detects when to display them. However, when you copy text with a SOSI delimiter outside of the editor, the delimiter is not included in the pasted text.

SOSI delimiter symbols are not printed or included in the Outline view or in the compare editor Structural Differences Outline. Instead, a white space is displayed in place of the symbol.

In the z Systems LPEX Editor, you can choose not to insert SOSI delimiters when you save a local or offline resource. For information about this option, see Setting file save preferences.

Limitations: The COBOL, JCL, and PL/I Editors have the following limitations:
  1. DBCS elements might be displayed with an incomplete underline or border annotation. For example, a real-time syntax check warning annotation on a DBCS element might underline only a portion of the DBCS element.
  2. When you use the print action, the SOSI bytes and the first and last DBCS characters are missing from the printed file. As a workaround, you can print from the z Systems LPEX Editor.

Limitations in editors for DBCS support

You can edit EBCDIC DBCS source in COBOL, JCL, and PL/I files. However, not all editor features are available.

The following editor features are not available when you edit EBCDIC DBCS code in the COBOL, JCL, and PL/I Editors:
  • Indentation formatting, which is defined by the Formatter preference
  • Manage sequence numbers, which is defined by the Sequence Numbers preference
  • Hexadecimal editing
  • Refactor actions (see note)
  • Line and column number reflects the character column and not the byte column
  • Split tokens that include DBCS characters are not supported
Note: The Refactor actions are also not available when you edit EBCDIC DBCS code in the z Systems LPEX Editor.