To the best of my knowledge, no current or (relatively recently past, i.e. OS/VS COBOL or later) compiler has created object code that "truncates" passed parameters to called subprograms.
It *IS* true that the compiler itself may (as documented) only pay attention to the first 100 bytes of passed data, but that has nothing to do with object code created by it. NOTE: From VS COBOL II thru IBM COBOL for OS/390 & VM, the compiler was "single-sourced". Therefore, as the 100-byte limit is a JCL, not a VM or CMS restriction, this would surprise me BUT it may be that only 100 bytes for the compiler was the documented restriction. "Charles Mills" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>... > No, I don't mean that. I mean that if a calling program passes more than 100 > characters, the compiler ignores those in excess of 100. That's what the > manual says, and that's how some of the IBM COBOL compilers behave. > > My statement is not based on projecting the JCL limitation onto the > compiler. > > The quoted passage is from the part of the PG that deals specifically with > calling the compiler from an assembler program. > > My point was specifically intended to cast a shadow on Gil's > logically-reasonable suggestion that the OP write a Rexx program to defeat > the JCL limitation. > > WHY would the COBOL compiler behave this way? Perhaps to assure consistent > results whether loaded as a jobstep program or from a calling program. (I > disagree with the design decision.) > > Charles > > -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Of Chris Mason > Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 10:32 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: COBOL compiler options JCL PARM. > > Charles > > Reading the posts in this thread I sometimes get the impression that this > 100 character limit is being regarded as a convention rather than an > absolute limit. Maybe it's because the "PG", by which I expect you mean the > COBOL "Programmer's Guide", and other product manuals tend to give this > impression. > > I expect you know but some reading the thread may not. > > The reason "The compiler recognizes only the first 100 characters in the > list." is that this is the way the PARM operand works. See section 16.8.1, > "Syntax" under section 16.8, "PARM Parameter" in z/OS V1R7.0-V1R8.0 MVS JCL > Reference where you will find the following: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
