HPCOBOL
                                UserManual
                                Order Number: AA–Q2G1H–TK
                                January 2005
                                This manual provides information that helps you develop HP COBOL
                                programs for the OpenVMS Alpha, OpenVMS Industry Standard 64,
                                OpenVMSVAX,andTru64UNIXplatforms.
                                Revision/Update Information:   This manual supersedes the
                                                               CompaqCOBOL User Manual,
                                                               Version 2.8 and the VAX COBOL User
                                                               Manual, Version 5.4, as well as the
                                                               online-only Compaq COBOL User
                                                               Manual, Version 2.8 and Version 5.7.
                                Operating System and Version: OpenVMS I64 Version 8.2
                                                               OpenVMSAlphaVersion6.2or higher
                                                               OpenVMSVAXVersion6.2orhigher
                                                               Tru64 UNIX Version 5.1 or higher
                                Software Version:              HPCOBOLforOpenVMSI64
                                                               Version 2.8
                                                               HPCOBOLforOpenVMSAlpha
                                                               Version 2.8
                                                               HPCOBOLforTru64UNIX
                                                               Version 2.8
                                                               HPCOBOLforOpenVMSVAX
                                                               Version 5.7A
                                Hewlett-Packard Company
                                Palo Alto, California
                  © Copyright 2005 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
                  Confidential computer software. Valid license from HP required for possession, use or copying.
                  Consistent with FAR 12.211 and 12.212, Commercial Computer Software, Computer Software
                  Documentation, and Technical Data for Commercial Items are licensed to the U.S. Government
                  under vendor’s standard commercial license.
                  The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP
                  products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products
                  and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall
                  not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
                  Motif, UNIX and X/Open are trademarks of The Open Group in the U.S. and/or other countries.
                  All other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
                  Intel and Itanium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries
                  in the United States and other countries.
                  Printed in the US
                                                              ZK6297
                  This manual is available on CD–ROM.
                  This document was prepared using DECdocument, Version 3.3-1b.
                                                                                          Contents
                  Preface ............................................................                  xxiii
                  1 DevelopingHPCOBOLPrograms
                       1.1    Developing Programs on Tru64 UNIX ............................            1–1
                       1.1.1     Creating an HP COBOL Program on Tru64 UNIX ...............             1–1
                       1.1.2     Compiling an HP COBOL Program on Tru64 UNIX ..............             1–4
                       1.1.2.1       Format of the COBOL Command on Tru64 UNIX .............            1–4
                       1.1.2.2       COBOLCommandFlags ................................                 1–5
                       1.1.2.3       External File Handler Support ...........................          1–8
                       1.1.2.4       Specifying Multiple Files and Flags . .......................      1–8
                       1.1.2.5       Compiling Multiple Files ................................          1–9
                       1.1.2.6       Debugging a Program . . ................................           1–9
                       1.1.2.7       Output Files: Object, Executable, Listing, and Temporary
                                     Files ................................................            1–10
                       1.1.2.8       Naming Output Files . . . ................................        1–10
                       1.1.2.9       Temporary Files .......................................           1–10
                       1.1.2.10      Examples of the COBOL Command . .......................           1–11
                       1.1.2.11      Other Compilers.......................................            1–11
                       1.1.2.12      Interpreting Messages from the Compiler ...................       1–11
                       1.1.3     Linking an HP COBOL Program on Tru64 UNIX . ...............           1–12
                       1.1.3.1       Specifying Object Libraries for Linking .....................     1–12
                       1.1.3.2       Specifying Additional Object Libraries ......................     1–13
                       1.1.3.3       Specifying Types of Object Libraries .......................      1–14
                       1.1.3.4       Creating Shared Object Libraries . . .......................      1–14
                       1.1.3.5       Shared Library Restrictions ..............................        1–15
                       1.1.3.6       Installing Shared Libraries ..............................        1–15
                       1.1.3.7       Interpreting Messages from the Linker .....................       1–16
                       1.1.4     Running an HP COBOL Program on Tru64 UNIX. ...............            1–16
                       1.1.4.1       Accessing Command-Line Arguments ......................           1–16
                       1.1.4.2       Accessing Environment Variables . . .......................       1–17
                       1.1.4.3       Errors and Switches....................................           1–18
                       1.1.5     Program Development Stages and Tools .......................          1–18
                       1.2    Developing Programs on OpenVMS ..............................            1–20
                       1.2.1     Creating an HP COBOL Program on OpenVMS . . ...............           1–20
                       1.2.2     Compiling an HP COBOL Program on OpenVMS . ...............            1–22
                       1.2.2.1       Format of the COBOL Command on OpenVMS ...............            1–22
                       1.2.2.2       Compiling Multiple Files ................................         1–23
                       1.2.2.3       Debugging a Program . . ................................          1–23
                       1.2.2.4       Separately Compiled Programs (Alpha, I64) . . ...............     1–24
                       1.2.2.5       COBOLQualifiers .....................................              1–24
                       1.2.2.6       CommonCommand-Line Errors to Avoid....................            1–29
                       1.2.2.7       Compiling Programs with Conditional Compilation ............      1–29
                       1.2.2.8       Interpreting Messages from the Compiler ...................       1–29
                                                                                                          iii
                     1.2.2.9          Using Compiler Listing Files     ............................                1–31
                     1.2.3        Linking an HP COBOL Program . ............................                       1–32
                     1.2.3.1          The LINK Command ...................................                         1–33
                     1.2.3.2          LINKQualifiers . . ....................................                       1–33
                     1.2.3.3          Specifying Modules Other than HP COBOL Modules ..........                    1–34
                     1.2.3.4          Specifying Object Module Libraries ........................                  1–35
                     1.2.3.5          Creating Shareable Images . . ............................                   1–37
                     1.2.3.6          Interpreting Messages from the Linker       . ...................            1–42
                     1.2.4        Running an HP COBOL Program ............................                         1–43
                     1.2.4.1          Accessing Command-Line Arguments at Run Time (Alpha,
                                      I64) ................................................                        1–43
                     1.2.4.2          Accessing System Logicals at Run Time (Alpha, I64) ...........               1–44
                     1.2.4.3          Accessing Input and Output Devices at Run Time . . ...........               1–45
                     1.2.4.4          Debugging Environment ................................                       1–46
                     1.2.4.5          Interpreting Run-Time Messages .........................                     1–46
                     1.3     HPCOBOLandAlphaandI64Architecture System Resources ........                           1–47
                     1.3.1        Compilation Performance...................................                       1–47
                     1.3.2        Tuning OpenVMS Alpha and OpenVMS I64 for Large HP COBOL
                                  Compiles . . . ............................................                      1–49
                     1.3.2.1          Optimizing Virtual Memory Usage.........................                     1–49
                     1.3.2.2          Optimizing Physical Memory Usage........................                     1–50
                     1.3.2.3          Improving Compile Performance with Separate Compilation
                                      (Alpha, I64) ..........................................                      1–51
                     1.3.3        Choosing a Reference Format . . . ............................                   1–51
                     1.3.3.1          Terminal Reference Format . . ............................                   1–52
                     1.3.3.2          Converting Between Reference Formats . ...................                   1–52
                     1.4     Program Run Messages . . . ....................................                       1–52
                     1.4.1        Data Errors . ............................................                       1–52
                     1.4.2        Program Logic Errors. . ....................................                     1–54
                     1.4.3        Run-Time Input/Output Errors . . ............................                    1–55
                     1.4.4        I/O Errors and RMS (OpenVMS) . ............................                      1–56
                     1.5     Using Program Switches . . ....................................                       1–60
                     1.5.1        Setting and Controlling Switches Internally . ...................                1–60
                     1.5.2        Setting and Controlling Switches Externally       ...................            1–60
                     1.6     Special Information for Year 2000 Programming . ...................                   1–63
                2 HandlingNumericData
                     2.1     Howthe Compiler Stores Numeric Data ..........................                          2–1
                     2.2     Specifying Alignment .........................................                          2–1
                     2.3     Sign Conventions ............................................                           2–2
                     2.4     Invalid Values in Numeric Items ................................                        2–2
                     2.5     Evaluating Numeric Items . ....................................                         2–3
                     2.5.1        Numeric Relation Test . ....................................                       2–3
                     2.5.2        Numeric Sign Test ........................................                         2–4
                     2.5.3        Numeric Class Tests. . . ....................................                      2–4
                     2.5.4        Success/Failure Tests . . ....................................                     2–5
                     2.6     Using the MOVE Statement ...................................                            2–6
                     2.6.1        Elementary Numeric Moves.................................                          2–6
                     2.6.2        Elementary Numeric-Edited Moves ...........................                        2–7
                     2.6.3        Subscripted Moves ........................................                         2–9
                     2.6.4        CommonMoveErrors . ....................................                            2–9
                     2.7     Using the Arithmetic Statements................................                         2–9
                     2.7.1        Temporary Work Items. ....................................                         2–9
                iv