| COURSE CONTENT: |
Compiler Options
Compiler options useful during conversion efforts
Using the PROCESS and CONTROL statements
New or changed compiler options in VS COBOL II
New or changed compiler options in COBOL/370
New or changed compiler options in COBOL for z/OS
Compiler options useful for debugging purposes
Language Features
Scope Terminators
• Review rules governing use of scope terminators
EVALUATE statements
• Rules, variations and related clauses and keywords
• Advantages and disadvantages
In-Line PERFORM statements
• Rules and variations
• Effects on structured technique
INITIALIZE statements
• Rules and related clauses
WITH TEST BEFORE/AFTER clauses
Using the LENGTH special register
CONTINUE verbs
CALL BY CONTENT/REFERENCE statements
• Rules, variations and uses
Reference Modification
New Read/Write FILE STATUS checking mechanisms
New changes in Array (Table) Processing
• Rules, uses and limits
• Relative subscripting
SET TO TRUE statements
INSPECT verbs and clauses
Nested programs
• Sharing data: COMMON, GLOBAL and EXTERNAL Data
Obsoleted verbs, clauses and keywords
• EXAMINE, OTHERWISE, AFTER ADVANCING etc
ACCEPT and DISPLAY changes
ANSI Standard Changes
ID DIVISION changes
• Review of obsoleted statements and reserved words
ENVIRONMENT DIVISION changes
• Obsoleted access methods
• Obsoleted storage devices
• New reserved words in SPECIAL NAMES paragraph
• Report Writer: off again, on again
• SELECT statements changes
DATA DIVISION changes
• Obsoleted sections: REPORT and COMMUNICATIONS
• New reserved words in USAGE IS clauses
• Using Un-named data fields
• Nested COPY statements
• The REPLACE verb
• DBCS (Double-Byte Character Set) support
Overview of ANSI 97 Standard
LE Intrinsic Functions and Callable Services
Character-based Intrinsic functions
• CHAR/ORD, MIN/MAX, UPPER/LOWER CASE etc.
Arithmetic Intrinsic Functions
• INTEGER, SUM, RANDOM, MEAN, RANGE, SQRT etc.
• Using the ALL keywords with arrays
Date/Time Intrinsic Functions
• CURRENT DATE, INTEGER-OF-DATE, INTEGER-OF-DAY etc.
• Compatibility issues: LE dates vs. COBOL/370 dates
Year 2000 Callable Service Programs
• Calling CEEDATE, CEEDAYS and CEELOCT
Using LE Callable Service Programs
• Survey of useful Callable Services
• Error-handling with Callable Service programs
• The Inter-language Call feature
Object-oriented Features in COBOL for Z/OS
Advantages and disadvantages of object-oriented design
The Object/Class, Data/Method paradigm
Class definition in the COBOL program
Object definition in the COBOL program
Method definition in the COBOL program
The INVOKE verb
• Rules, variants and clauses
Pre-defined classes
• BASE, NULL and SYSTEM-OBJECT classes
Interaction between `regular' and `OO' parts of program:
• Defining Message Tables
• Understanding Message Types and Flows
The CICS Environment
New LE versions of INSPECT, (UN) STRING and CALL verbs
Calling programs under LE and CICS
• Implications of new CALL and GOBACK availability
Performance issues
• How to exploit `above-the-line' storage under CICS
The ADDRESS OF clause
• Using the LINKAGE SECTION under CICS
Conversion issues for old COBOL CICS programs
• Using the right compiler options
• Structured program code and error-handling
The Debugging Features
Review of debugging-related compile options
Finding replacements for obsoleted debugging verbs:
• READY/RESET TRACE, EXHIBIT, USE for DEBUGGING etc.
Reading the new formatted dumps
• Controlling the dump destination in batch or CICS
• Locating TGT, new BL cells, FCBs, TEMP.STORAGE cells etc.
Using COBOL II's COBTEST facility
Using LE's DEBUG TOOL facility
• Review of useful commands and techniques |
