CL parameters over 32 length

Hi,

We have a CL program that uses 3 input parameters. The first parameter is *CHAR length 50, the second parameter is *CHAR length 44 and the third parameter is *CHAR length 512.

When this CL program is called with values that are smaller than the parameter length (for instance 23 characters for the first parameter), we have noticed that the value of the second parameter gets added tot he first, starting at position 33.

I have searched the internet and have found that this behaviour is intentional. From what I understand, *CHAR parameters are padded with blanks up to 32 characters. Whatever was in memory after position 32 becomes part of the value of the first parameter.

I have also found several suggestions as workaround fort his issue, som y question is nota bout how I can solve this problem. What I really don't understand is why this CL program has worked for months without any problems and then suddenly starts showing this behaviour. The program has not been changed, the calling program has not been changed. We did apply PTF's but this was 1 week before the CL program started showing this behaviour so I don't think the PTF's are causing this. So basically what I want to know is, why does using CL parameters over 32 characters sometimes work, and sometimes not?

Another question out of curiosity, this "problem" has been around at least since 1998 and probably much longer (1998 was the oldest information I found online). I see many people having issues with this, so why has IBM never changed this?

Erwin Donker


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