Re: [open-cobol-list] Dialect emulation and "E-Level messages"

[Keisuke Nishida]

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply.

At Fri, 12 Mar 2004 15:25:51 +0100,
Thomas Biehler wrote:
> 
> Hi Keisuke, 
> see you that the project goal (TODO)
> should have higher piority
> to avoid such (useless) disccusions!

The goal is to run and maintain COBOL programs steadily with an
open-source compiler.  Rewriting your programs in the standard-
compliant way would be a good thing in the long run, while I
understand compatibility is indispensable to port existent
programs.  However, our goal is not to make a clone of an
existent COBOL compiler.  We should find our own good.

Regarding "E-Level messages", I referred to the William's site at

 http://home.netcom.com/~wmklein/IBM/ErrMsg.htm

and realized that the "E-Level messages" are indeed errors.
I do not see a good reason of accepting all of these errors.
So, I have to say that we should consider them as errors.

> I have only requested one very special and limited MF compatible behavior.
> --> move non-integer to alphanumeric: (1029-E)
> I have IMO good reason in this special case!  
> Really, i do NOT want every bad behavior from Micro Focus in open-cobol!
> (Instead i have changed many programms !)

Yes, it's indeed a special case.  But it's a special case for you.
Now I do not think open-cobol should handle this case specially.
I will make it an error again.

But remember, our compiler is open source.  You can always write
your own patch and use it.  If you really want to accept this
error, you should write a local patch.  Otherwise, you should
fix your programs.

> How to change:  
> ===========
>       - MOVE  FUNCTION integer  or   FUNCTION integer-part
>           would be also ok in the programs  
>          (i assume here only,  i would have to find out this first!)
>           --> then the "move  "integer"  to alphanumeric is allowed!
>                but not the original program behavior
>         -->  But FUNCTIONS are TODO for a longer time! --> no alternative!
> 
>       --> MOVE TO EDITED NUMERIC-Variables first ?  
>            --> new Variables to declare , MOVE , change, test ...
>            --> CHANGE-MESSAGE (1029 S) in MF Compiler configuration
>                 to prevent new occurences of the error!
>            --> inform all programmers about this case ...

Probably the easiest way would be something like this:

        01 DIGITS                X(4).
        01 REDEF-DIGITS          REDEFINES DIGITS PIC 9(2)V99.

        01 NON-INTEGER           PIC 9(2)V99   VALUE 12.89 .
        01 NON-INTEGER-2         PIC 9(2)V99   
                                     USAGE BINARY VALUE 12.89 .
        01 NON-INTEGER-3         PIC 9(2)V99
                                      USAGE PACKED-DECIMAL VALUE 12.89 .
        01 SIGNED-NON-INTEGER    PIC S9(2)V99   VALUE -12.89 .
        01 SIGNED-NON-INTEGER-2  PIC S9(2)V99
                                     USAGE BINARY VALUE -12.89 .
        01 SIGNED-NON-INTEGER-3  PIC S9(2)V99
                                     USAGE PACKED-DECIMAL VALUE -12.89 .

        MOVE NON-INTEGER to REDEF-DIGITS.
        MOVE DIGITS TO ANYTHING-YOU-WANT.
        ...

Keisuke