Re: Cobol Question

----- Original Message -----
From: "Diane Nott" <dnott@lorainccc.edu>
To: <cobol400-l@midrange.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 11:43 AM
Subject: Cobol Question


> I was reading some code and I came across this line in the
> Initialization Module of the Procedure Division.
> CALL PROCEDURE         'CHKAPPAUT'
>  USING WS-APP.
>
> I never heard of Call Procedure. What is it?
> Diane

In ILE, the 400 supports calls to programs and calls to procedures.

In the COBOL language, you must specify the "linkage" or whether the called
object is a program or a procedure.

This is done either on the call statement or in the configuration section
with the LINKAGE TYPE IS ... FOR... clause.

Procedures are modules that are bound in or assembled into service programs.

The system ships with many procedures, like the CEE APIs, in service
programs. In RPG or C, you prototype the procedures and then call them, the
prototype indicates the use of a procedure. In COBOL, there is no prototype,
so you specify the linkage at the call.

The other things to watch on procedures is case sensitivity. Many of the
system APIs are case sensitive and you then need to include the PROCESS
NOMONOPRC. statement  or set the compile options.

===========================================================
R. Bruce Hoffman, Jr.
 -- IBM Certified Specialist - iSeries Administrator
 -- IBM Certified Specialist - RPG IV Developer

"Suppose you were an idiot...
  And suppose you were a member of Congress...
  But I repeat myself."
    - Mark Twain