PH73209: SUPPORT STRONGLY-TYPED DATA ITEMS WITH STRICT TYPE CHECKING

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as new function.

Error description

• COBOL now supports strongly-typed data items. Type compatibility
  for strongly-typed items is enforced by the compiler when values
  are moved, compared, or passed as arguments in CALL statements
  and function invocations. This enhancement provides stronger
  compile-time validation and helps prevent unintended use of
  incompatible data types.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: Users of Enterprise COBOL 6.5 compiling      *
  *                 programs that need strong type checking      *
  *                 between senders and receivers in MOVE        *
  *                 statements, between operands in comparison   *
  *                 operations, and between arguments and formal *
  *                 parameters in function invocations.          *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: New Function: 1) Strong types have been *
  *                      added to Enterprise COBOL via the new   *
  *                      STRONG phrase of the TYPEDEF clause.    *
  *                      Instances of strong types               *
  *                      (strongly-typed items), are subject to  *
  *                      strict type-checking.                   *
  *                                                              *
  *                      2) Restricted pointers: Pointers can    *
  *                      now be restricted to store only         *
  *                      addresses of items that are instances   *
  *                      of a specified type. This helps to      *
  *                      ensure that the integrity of a          *
  *                      strongly-typed item cannot be subverted *
  *                      by using a pointer, or the value of the *
  *                      ADDRESS OF special register, to access  *
  *                      its data via a weakly-typed/untyped     *
  *                      item.                                   *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION: Apply the IBM-provided PTF.                  *
  ****************************************************************
  Existing weakly-typed group items in Enterprise COBOL do not
  provide any guarantees of data integrity. For example, a
  weakly-typed group item of one type can be moved into a
  weakly-typed group item of a different type, even if their data
  layouts are not compatible.
  

Problem conclusion

Temporary fix

Comments

• The compiler was updated to provide support for the following
  new function:
  
  1) Strongly-typed items
  
  2) Restricted pointers
  
  For a detailed description of the changes, please refer to the
  following sections in the Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.5 IBM
  Documentation online:
  
  1) Language Reference -> DATA DIVISION
      -> DATA DIVISION--data description entry
  
     sections:
     -> TYPEDEF clause
     -> TYPE clause
     -> POINTER clause
     -> POINTER-32 clause
  
  2) Language Reference - PROCEDURE DIVISION
      -> Conditional Expressions
      -> General relation conditions
  
  3) Language Reference - PROCEDURE DIVISION
      -> PROCEDURE DIVISION statements
  
      sections:
      -> MOVE statement
      -> SET statement
  
  4) Programming Guide -> Coding your program -> Using data
  
      sections:
      -> User-defined types
      -> User-defined types
      -> Strongly-typed items
  
  5) Other resources -> Glossary
  

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros

• IGY8RWTU IGYCASMB IGYCCBE  IGYCCCRT IGYCCICS IGYCCSRV IGYCDGEN
  IGYCDIAG IGYCDMAP IGYCEN$0 IGYCEN$1 IGYCEN$2 IGYCEN$3 IGYCEN$4
  IGYCEN$5 IGYCEN$8 IGYCEN$D IGYCEN$R IGYCFGEN IGYCFREE IGYCINIT
  IGYCJA$0 IGYCJA$1 IGYCJA$2 IGYCJA$3 IGYCJA$4 IGYCJA$5 IGYCJA$8
  IGYCJA$D IGYCJA$R IGYCJBLD IGYCJGEN IGYCLIBR IGYCLSTR IGYCLVL0
  IGYCLVL1 IGYCLVL2 IGYCLVL3 IGYCLVL8 IGYCMALL IGYCOB2  IGYCOB2E
  IGYCOB2J IGYCOPI  IGYCOSCN IGYCPGEN IGYCRCTL IGYCRDPR IGYCRDSC
  IGYCREAL IGYCRWT  IGYCSCAN IGYCSIMD IGYCUE$0 IGYCUE$1 IGYCUE$2
  IGYCUE$3 IGYCUE$4 IGYCUE$5 IGYCUE$8 IGYCUE$D IGYCUE$R IGYCXREF
  IGYDRV   IGYEQCWI IGYMSGE  IGYMSGK  IGYMSGT  IGYQCBE  IGYQSPLT
  IGYZQEN6 IGYZQENU IGYZQJP6 IGYZQJPN
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  ENT COBOL FOR Z

• Fixed component ID

  5655EC600

Applicable component levels

• R650 PSY UO09652

     UP26/10/03 I 1000  

• R651 PSY UO09653

     UP26/10/03 I 1000  

• R652 PSY UO09654

     UP26/10/03 I 1000  

• R65H PSY UO09655

     UP26/10/03 I 1000  

Fix is available

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