Can COBOL read environment variables these days? Charles
-----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jesse 1 Robinson Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2017 4:30 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Implementing application's variables There are two commonly used mechanisms for this kind of processing. -- Pass the current value in JCL as PARM= . -- Put the current value in a file that is read early on. The advantage of the PARM option is that the code for extracting the passed value is fairly simple. The disadvantage is that in some shops, changing production JCL, especially in a cataloged procedure, can be arduous and anything but agile. The advantage of the file option is that input data sets in most shops are the property of the application and do not usually require much organizational rigmarole to update. The disadvantage is that the code to read and process a file is somewhat more complex than a PARM value. In either case, PARM or file, the program must handle error conditions like missing or invalid data. If a problem occurs, terminate gracefully with adequate messaging. DO NOT allow a hokey abend to wake up the staff at oh-dark-thirty. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
