Rational Developer for System z, Version 7.6

Preparing a non-Language Environment COBOL program

This chapter describes how to prepare a non-Language Environment COBOL program that you can debug with Debug Tool.

The term non-Language Environment COBOL refers to any of the following programs:

To prepare a non-Language Environment COBOL program, you must do the following steps:

  1. Compile your program with the IBM OS/VS COBOL or the IBM VS COBOL II compiler using the proper options.
  2. Create the EQALANGX file.
  3. Link-edit your program.

As you read through the information in this document, remember that OS/VS COBOL programs are non-Language Environment programs, even though you might have used Language Environment libraries to link and run your program.

VS COBOL II programs are non-Language Environment programs when you compile them with the NOTEST compiler option and link them with a non-Language Environment library. VS COBOL II programs are Language Environment programs when you compile them with the TEST compiler option and link them with the Language Environment library.

Read the information regarding non-Language Environment programs for instructions on how to start Debug Tool and debug non-Language Environment COBOL programs, unless information specific to non-Language Environment COBOL is provided.

Compiling your OS/VS COBOL program

You must compile your OS/VS COBOL program with the IBM OS/VS COBOL compiler and use the following options:

Compiling your VS COBOL II program

You must compile your VS COBOL II program with the IBM VS COBOL II compiler and use the following options:

Creating the EQALANGX file for non-Language Environment COBOL programs

To create the EQALANGX file, you use the EQALANGX program. The EQALANGX program shipped as a component of Debug Tool is functionally equivalent to the IDILANGX program shipped as a component of IBM Fault Analyzer. If you have IBM Fault Analyzer installed, you can use the IDILANGX program to create the EQALANGX file, as long as the version of the IDILANGX program is the same as or newer than the EQALANGX program shipped with Debug Tool. To identify the version of the program, do the following steps:

  1. Create the EQALANGX file as described in the IBM Fault Analyzer documentation.
  2. Look at the first record of the generated EQALANGX file and make a note of the version.
  3. Create the EQALANGX file as described in this section.
  4. Look at the first record of the generated EQALANGX file.

If you choose to use IDILANGX to create the EQALANGX file, you can skip these instructions. See the IBM Fault Analyzer documentation for instructions on creating the EQALANGX file.

To create the EQALANGX file, do the following steps:

  1. Create JCL similar to the following:
    //XTRACT EXEC PGM=EQALANGX,REGION=32M, 
    // PARM='(COBOL ERROR LOUD'
    //STEPLIB DD DISP=SHR,DSN=hlq.SEQAMOD
    //LISTING DD DISP=SHR,DSN=yourid.nonlecompiler.listing
    //IDILANGX DD DISP=OLD,DSN=yourid.EQALANGX

    The following list describes the variables used in this example and the parameters you can use with the EQALANGX program:

    PARM=
    (COBOL
    The (COBOL parameter indicates that a non-Language Environment COBOL module is being processed.
    ERROR
    The ERROR parameter is suggested, but optional. If you specify it, additional information is displayed when an error is detected.
    LOUD
    The LOUD parameter is suggested, but optional. If you specify it, additional informational and statistical messages are displayed.
    64K CREF
    The 64K and CREF parameters are optional. Previously, these options were required.

    The messages displayed by specifying the ERROR and LOUD parameters are Write To Operator or Write To Programmer (WTO or WTP) messages. See the IBM Fault Analyzer for z/OS® User's Guide and Reference for detailed information about the messages and return codes displayed by the IDILANGX program. The EQALANGX program uses the same messages and return codes.

    hlq.SEQAMOD
    The name of the data set containing the Debug Tool load modules. If the Debug Tool load modules are in a system linklib data set, you can omit the following line:
    //STEPLIB DD DISP=SHR,DSN=hlq.SEQAMOD
    yourid.nonlecompiler.listing
    The name of the listing data set generated by the IBM OS/VS COBOL or IBM VS COBOL II compiler. If this is a partitioned data set, the member name must be specified. For information about the characteristics of this data set, see IBM OS/VS COBOL Compiler and Library Programmer's Guide or VS COBOL II Application Programmering Guide for MVS and CMS.
    yourid.EQALANGX
    The name of the data set where the EQALANGX debug file is to be placed. This data set must have variable block record format (RECFM=VB) and a logical record length of 1562 (LRECL=1562).

    Debug Tool searches for the EQALANGX debug file in a partitioned data set with the name yourid.EQALANGX and a member name that matches the name of the program. If you want the member name of the EQALANGX debug file to match the name of the program, you do not need to specify a member name on the DD statement.

  2. Submit the JCL and verify that the EQALANGX file is created in the location you specified on the IDILANGX DD statement.

Link-editing your program

You can link-edit your program by using your normal link-edit procedures.

After you link-edit your program, you can run your program and start Debug Tool.


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