PK65122: CANNOT USE A DOT IN AN ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE

APAR status

• Closed as Permanent restriction.

Error description

• An environment variable with a dot in the name, such as TEST.VAR
  does not get properly substituted if the variable is used as th
  e value of another variable.
  
  Steps to reproduce:
  1) Create an environment group
  2) Create the variable NAME_1.1=2
  3) Create variable TESTNAME=$NAME_1.1
  4) Create a project which uses the environment group
  5) Create a project with 'set' in a step to display all current
  environment variables for a Windows system
  6) Run the project
  
  ENV and STEP excerpt from the project export:
  ...
  ?step absolute='N' failwait='N' selectorId='windowsxp' dir='/' b
  roadcast='N' timeout='300' id='1' passwait='N' inline='N' thread
  able='N' access='6' active='Y' passnotify='0' description='Hello
   Again' onfail='' failnotify='0' envId='0'?
     ?command?
        set
     ?/command?
  ...
  ?environ access='6' name='ONE' id='2'?
      ?var mode='N' value='Howdy' position='1' action='S' name='VA
  R3'??/var?
      ?var mode='N' value='2' position='2' action='S' name='NAME_1
  .1'??/var?
      ?var mode='N' value='$NAME_1.1' position='3' action='S' name
  ='TESTNAME'??/var?
      ?var mode='N' value='$BF_ROOT/hello.txt' position='4' action
  ='S' name='_LOG'??/var?
  ?/environ?
  ...
  
  From the project run log:
  ENV: TESTNAME=NAME_1.1
  
  (after the set command in the step):
  TESTNAME=NAME_1.1
  
  The value is not substituted; on the name of the variable mnus t
  he dollar sign is present.
  In this run TESTNAME=NAME_1.1 instead of 2 as it should equal
  
  Remove the dot in the variable - NAME_11 - and the substitution
  works as expected.
  
  From the project run log:
  ENV: TESTNAME=2
  
  After the set command:
  TESTNAME=2
  
  I have attached the build logs from both tests and a project exp
  ort of the project used to run the tests.
  

Local fix

Problem summary

• Due to the use of "." as an operator there is no plan to
  change Build Forge code to accomodate dots in variable
  names. See notes for work around.
  

Problem conclusion

• No plan to fix. See notes for work around.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

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

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

Fix information

Applicable component levels