RE: Invalid screen characters

Hmmm, let me guess, you are using a display file with multiple record
formats?  Perhaps a subfile is involved?  If so, then you are going to love
the answer to your problem.

COBOL organizes memory by file and record format, not by field as does RPG.
In addition, all record formats in a file, such as a display file, share the
same memory space.  Therefore, if you change fields in one record format,
the data overwrites any field values in another record format.  Neat, huh?

The only way out of this as far as I know is to define the record format you
wish to prevent being overwritten in working storage and execute a MOVE
CORRESPONDING option after you READ the display file record.  You can then
execute the MOVE before displaying the screen again.

Hope that helps.

Donald R. Fisher, III
Project Manager
The Roomstore Furniture Company
(804) 784-7600 ext. 2124
DFisher@roomstoreeast.com
<clip>
On writing a screen from a COBOL program I get the following message after
the
program crashes:

Data sent to device QPADEV0005 not valid.  Negative response code is
  10050111.

<clip>