COBOL runtime messages

Each COBOL runtime message is followed by an explanation that describes the condition causing the messages. A programmer response suggests how you might prevent the message from occurring again and a system action indicates how the system responds to the condition that caused the message are included.

The messages also contain a symbolic feedback code that represents the first 8 bytes of a 12-byte condition token. You can think of the symbolic feedback code as the nickname for a condition. As such, the symbolic feedback code can be used in user-written condition handlers to screen for a given condition, even if it occurs at different locations in an application.