>> -----Original Message----- >> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List >> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Pommier, Rex R. >> Sent: Wednesday, June 22, 2005 10:48 AM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: Another OS/390 to z/OS 1.4 migration question (COBOL) >> >> >> Yeah, but unfortunately all this does is give a dump of the >> messages. No >> further information beyond what you get when the message >> happens for real. >> Some of those messages don't make a whole lot of sense - even >> if they're >> supposed to be written so well they don't need further explanation. >> > >I assure you that the compiler writers find the messages totally >informative.
For most of them that is true. In this DBCS case I am not so sure. Most compiler messages say something like 'Alphanumeric data item 'x' found in numeric expression. Statement was discarded." Our challenge was what do you add to that in a messages manual? All you can say is "See the LRM for how to code that statement". There are some messages (at least 3 so far)) that need more, and we have been leaning in the direction of a messages manual, but 90% of entries would say "See the LRM" Typically in IBM support, if the customer READS the message, rather than they know what to do. If they get hung up on searching for a message number in DOC, they get stuck. By the way, COBOL compiler messages start with IGY, but the next 2 characters can change depending on where in the compiler they were issued, could be IGYPS (procedure division) or IGYDS (Data division) for example. So, the way to search for COBOL messages would be by just the numeric part. Anyway, the DBCS messages look like a good candidate for needing a messages manual, or at least a message update. By the way, if the user had read the COBOL Migration Guide, or was using the correct CICS translator option, they would not have had this problem. I also noticed that the IBM tech help at http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21163906 is incorrect, it should say to change from COBOL2 to COBOL3, not from DBCS to NODBCS. Cheers, TomR >> COBOL is the Language of the Future! << ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
