I am aware of two COBOL pre-processors which are "integrated". The one for EXEC CICS and the one for EXEC SQL. As best as I can tell, the API for this is "proprietary" and so undocumented. I can understand, partially, why that is. Mainly because a documented API is difficult, if not impossible, to modify very much. Also because, being nasty here, IBM doesn't want another company to "profit" by creating an new integrated pre-processor of their own; such as Oracle for their own EXEC SQL.
But I was wondering what other EXEC ??? pre-processor might be created if IBM were to release (or just license under NDA) this interface. What was I thinking of? Well, maybe an EXEC UNIX or maybe call it EXEC SYSCALL (to match REXX SYSCALL), to more tightly integrate some UNIX facilities into COBOL. Not that I'm disparaging the excellent BPXUNIX() subroutine which can be used. I just think that something like: EXEC UNIX Z'cd ~/junk' is easier to understand than: CALL "BPXUNIX" USING Z"cd ~/junk" or, hardest to understand, but "best" for diagnostic use (and what the EXEC UNIX might actually do): 77 CHDIR PIC X(100) VALUE Z'cd ~/junk'. 77 CHDIR-LEN PIC S9(9) BINARY VALUE +9. ... CALL BPX1CHD USING CHDIR, CHDIR-LEN, RETURN_VALUE, RETURN_CODE, REASON_CODE. Yeah, this is more a Friday speculation type question. And the EXEC UNIX was just something that I scraped up myself as a possible example of something. Perhaps someone can think of something else which would be useful (maybe an EXEC PCRE to do a Perl Compatible Regular Expression?). -- "Irrigation of the land with seawater desalinated by fusion power is ancient. It's called 'rain'." -- Michael McClary, in alt.fusion Maranatha! <>< John McKown ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
