RE: [open-cobol-list] Re: feature request: some Micro Focus "dialect" extensions

[William M. Klein]

regarding


> 
> >       *  OCCURS  at Level 01 !   conforms NOT to 1985 / 2002 !
> >        01 TABELLE    PIC X          OCCURS 5.
> 
> OK, let's accept it with -std=mf, but probably it should be
> rejected by the default mode.
> 

> -----End Original Message-----

Have you actually LOOKED at some of the implications of this extension?  It
has incredible "side-effects" that even those within Micro Focus "dread".  

You can't redefine it (or any sub-item).  READ INTO and WRITE FROM can have
problems.  It is an INCREDIBLE problem if used under an FD.

My GUESS is that any program that actually "uses" this feature is probably
NOT working the way the programmer wants - and is certainly hard to
maintain.  Simply ADDING an 01-level above an existing 01-level with an
OCCURS will make the program MUCH more portable and easier to maintain.

PLEASE do not spread the use of this BAD extension!!!