COBOL source code differences in Enterprise COBOL Version 5 and Version 6
Several language elements have been removed or modified in Enterprise COBOL V5 and V6 that may require updates to your source programs.
- DATE FORMAT clause
- DATEVAL intrinsic function
- UNDATE intrinsic function
- YEARWINDOW intrinsic function
- Format 2 declarative syntax:
USE...AFTER...LABEL PROCEDURE...
is no longer supported - The syntax:
GO TO MORE-LABELS
is no longer supported.
Starting in Enterprise COBOL V5.2, VOLATILE is a new reserved word. Existing programs that use VOLATILE as a user-defined word (for example, as a data name or paragraph name) will get S-level diagnostic messages with Enterprise COBOL V5.2 and V6. You must change these instances of VOLATILE to other words such as VOLATILE-X, or you can use the CCCA utility to do it for you.
For
INSPECT...TALLYING
, previous versions
of the compiler inserts zone nibbles in a display numeric inspected
item before performing the INSPECT. This will for example change
SPACES to ZEROS. COBOL V5.1 and later no longer do this zone
normalization. Having INSPECT
without a REPLACING
clause
update the inspected item is unexpected.
When moving a 16-bit COMP-5 sender
(PICTURE clause PIC 9(2) through PIC 9(4)), with value x'8000' or
higher, to an alphanumeric data item, Enterprise COBOL V4.2 incorrectly
uses an instruction that loads the value as a 32-bit value with the
high sixteen bits all ones. This incorrectly changes the value that
is moved to the PIC X(9) receiver. Enterprise COBOL V5 and V6 correctly load
the 16-bit value as a 32-bit value with the high sixteen bits all
zeros, which is correct, but is different from Enterprise COBOL V4.2.
Changes apply to Enterprise COBOL V6 only
Starting in Enterprise COBOL V6.1, ALLOCATE,
DEFAULT, END-JSON, FREE, JSON, and JSON-CODE are new reserved words.
Existing programs that use these words as user-defined words (for
example, as data names or paragraph names) will get S-level diagnostic
messages with Enterprise COBOL V6.
You must change instances of these reserved words to other words such
as ALLOCATE-X or JSON-Y, or you can use the CCCA utility to do it
for you.
Starting
in Enterprise COBOL V6.2,
JSON-STATUS is a new reserved word. Existing programs that use JSON-STATUS
as a user-defined word (for example, as a data name or paragraph name)
will get S-level diagnostic messages with Enterprise COBOL V6.2. You must
change these instances of JSON-STATUS to other words such as JSON-STATUS-X,
or you can use the CCCA utility to do it for you.
In Enterprise COBOL V5 and earlier versions, a non-88 level VALUE clause in the LINKAGE SECTION or FILE SECTION was treated as a comment. However, starting in Enterprise COBOL V6.1, the VALUE clause for LINKAGE SECTION and FILE SECTION items is now syntax checked and has meaning. This means that a program that is compiled with RC=0 with COBOL V5 could get RC=12 with COBOL V6.
000224 LINKAGE SECTION.
000225 01 ALPH-ITEM PIC X(4) VALUE 1234.
==000225==> IGYDS1158-I A non-level-88 "VALUE" clause was found in the
"FILE SECTION" or "LINKAGE SECTION". The "VALUE" clause was treated as comments.
000224 LINKAGE SECTION.
000225 01 ALPH-ITEM PIC X(4) VALUE 1234.
==000225==> IGYGR1080-S A "VALUE" clause literal was not compatible with the data
category of the subject data item. The "VALUE" clause was discarded.