Receive COBOL RETURN-CODE in RPGLE

 >> why is this so hard?

Perhaps because you are wrong?  There is a little thing called ANSI that
defines this behavior.  I don't know if you actually ran your code or just
assumed it would do what you thought but .....

Forget the parms etc. that implies there is another program in the picture
and if it is COBOL it has an impact.  Call the version below twice from the
command line and you will see:

Count is: 0001
Exit program ignored
Count is: 0001
Exit program ignored

I have compiled and run this in OPM and ILE versions and behavior is as I
predicted and as ANSI specifies.

       DATA DIVISION.
       WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
       01  MY-COUNT PIC 9999.
       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
       BEGIN-ME.
           ADD 1 TO MY-COUNT
           DISPLAY 'Count is: ' MY-COUNT.
       END-ME.
           EXIT PROGRAM.
           DISPLAY 'Exit program ignored'.

Jon Paris
Partner400