Re: DFTACTGRP(*YES) vs ACTGRP(*Caller)

Jeff,

You're probably not going to like this.

First, calling an ILE program with ACTGRP(*CALLER) from an OPM program is
not a good idea. The reason you see one post say one thing and the next
another is that it depends. You can call the ILE program from OPM, but
don't use ACTGRP(*CALLER). If you run an ILE program in the default
activation group (i.e, *DFTACTGRP where OPM programs run), files are not
closed, storage is not released, and a whole bunch of other potential
problems are left waiting to happen. In general if your ILE program
doesn't open files, you can call it from OPM and be fine--just don't
compile your program with ACTGRP(*CALLER). Another thing to watch for is
if you expect certain working-storage items to be initialized when you
call the program, that may change with an ILE program running in a named
activation group. While you can get away with it at times, the general
recommendation is to avoid mixing ILE with OPM and to never call an ILE
program with ACTGRP(*CALLER) from an OPM program.

Michael Quigley

cobol400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote on 10/31/2009 01:00:09 PM:

----- Message from Jeff Buening <JeffBuening@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> on
Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:02:44 -0400 -----

To:

cobol400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx

Subject:

[COBOL400-L] DFTACTGRP(*YES) vs ACTGRP(*Caller)


I have seen the below on some post...........

Programs compiled with DFTACTGRP(*YES) do not behave the same as
ACTGRP(*CALLER), even if the ACTGRP(*CALLER) program was called from

the

default activation group. This is because specifying DFTACTGRP(*YES)

does

more than control which activation group the program is compiled

into,

it also controls some other OPM compatibility things.

I have seen post that say DFTACTGRP(*YES) was to help RPG programs

convert

to ILE with out all the goodies of ILE, but still use SEP, content

assist

etc.. CRTBNDCBL for cobol does not have a DFTACTGRP parm just ACTGRP

parm.

So can I assume using ACTGRP(*CALLER) in cobol is similar to the

DFTACTGRP

(*YES) that RPG has? Not sure what the other compatibility things are?

If I have Cobol "Program A" calls "Program B" and "Program B" is a

program

that gets used all throughout the system not just in my "Program A" Call
"Program B" application. If I am changing just my application to ILE

would

making "Progam B" ACTGRP(*Caller) be the way to go since other

applications

that are still ALL IN OPM COBOL will still be calling "Program B"? Has
anyone done something similar and sees issues with this thinking,

because

one post will say one thing and the next another? Or did you create
duplicate programs one for ILE and one for OPM?

Thanks,
Jeff Buening