RE: Varying - Inz mandatory?

Lot of excellent information and suggestions.

May I suggest you set the error code, prior to setting the description? 
That will make your coding less language dependent.

Select;
When error.code=*blanks;
  // skip it.  We're cool
When error.code='CPF1234';
  // handle the ....  error
When error.code='CPF3456';
  // handle the xxx error
Other;
  // generic error handler
EndSl;

There is also THEE error data structure used by durn near all of IBM's 
API's:
      * ERRC0100 - Error code data structure
     D ERRC0100        DS
     D  BytesProvided                10i0 0 INZ(%len(errc0100))
     D  BytesAvail                   10i 0
     D  ExceptionId                   7A
     D  Reserved1                     1A
     D  ExceptData                  250A


Rob Berendt
-- 
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary 
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." 
Benjamin Franklin