The ILE COBOL licensed program provides the following message severity levels:
The compiler always attempts to provide full diagnostics of all source text in the program, even when errors have been detected. If the compiler cannot continue on a given statement, the message states that the compiler cannot continue and that it will ignore the rest of the statement. When this error occurs, the programmer should examine the entire statement.
The OS/400 message facility is used to produce all messages. The ILE COBOL compiler messages reside in the message file, QLNCMSG, and the run-time messages reside in the message file, QLNRMSG.
Substitution variables and valid reply values are determined by the program sending the message, not by the message description stored in the message file. However, certain elements of a message description can be changed: for example, the text, severity level, default response, or dump list. To effect such changes, you need to define another message description using an Add Message Description (ADDMSGD) command, place the modified description in a user-created message file, and specify that file in the Override Message File (OVRMSGF) command. Using the OVRMSGF command allows the compiler to retrieve messages from the specified file. For additional information, see the ADDMSGD and OVRMSGF commands in the CL and APIs section of the Programming category in the iSeries 400 Information Center at this Web site -http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/pubs/html/as400/infocenter.htm.
Overriding an IBM-supplied message with a user-created message can produce results you do not anticipate. If reply values are not retained, the program might not respond to any replies. Changing default replies on *NOTIFY type messages could affect the ability of the program to run in unattended mode. Changing the severity could cancel a job not previously canceled. Be cautious when overriding IBM-supplied messages with user-created messages.
(C) Copyright IBM Corporation 1992, 2005. All Rights Reserved.