Are you able to post a code snippet of what the code is actually doing? Others seem to understand from your description what is occurring, but I understand code better.
Frank >________________________________ > From: John McKown <john.archie.mck...@gmail.com> >To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU >Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 11:02 AM >Subject: COBOL "problem" (not really), but sort of. > > >A programmer came by today with a problem. He is sometimes getting a S0C4-4 >abend in a COBOL program. This is a subroutine. One of the parameters >passed in is a data area, which can be of various lengths. It is defined >with an OCCURS DEPENDING ON with a data element within the area. I.e. the >first 05 level is PIC S9(5) COMP. The subroutine does a READ of a data set >into this area. This is where the abend occurs. The reason is because the >OCCURS DEPENDING ON maximum size is significantly larger than what the >caller is passing it. And the READ to the 01 is trying to pad the entire >possible 01 level with blanks. > >The problem is how do I describe this to a COBOL programmer who just >doesn't "get it". He expects COBOL to _not_ pad the "non existent" >occurrences with blanks. And, if fact, to not even reference this area >wherein they would have resided, had they existed. I'm just get "deer in >headlights" looks. I'm not using the correct words, somehow. > >-- >As of next week, passwords will be entered in Morse code. > >Maranatha! <>< >John McKown > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, >send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
