PH25917: ADD QSAMBUFFINITCHAR IGZUOPT OPTION TO CONTROL LINAGE BUFFER INITIAL CHARACTERS

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as unreproducible in next release.

Error description

• The new feature, is to let the user specific what character is
  used to initialize the buffer space.  The initiailize character
  would be there for the slack bytes after the ASA character, thus
  archiving the user's requirment of that slack byte be a certain
  value.  This new feature is controled via, IGZUOPT, a COBOL
  runtime option module.
  

Local fix

• N/A
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: User of Enterprise COBOL V5+, who has        *
  *                 program that use LINAGE or WRITE AFTER x     *
  *                 LINES in their QSAM File I/O, migrating      *
  *                 from COBOL V4.2 and prior releases.          *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: The first character in a QSAM file can  *
  *                      be used as control character (CC) for   *
  *                      printer spacing control.  There are     *
  *                      cases that a blank record with just     *
  *                      the control character are outputted,    *
  *                      depending on LINAGE/WRITE AFTER x       *
  *                      LINES's semantic requirements. The      *
  *                      bytes after the CC is call the slack    *
  *                      bytes. In Enterprise COBOL prior to     *
  *                      V5R1, the value of these slack bytes    *
  *                      are undefined. In practice, it is       *
  *                      observed to be either EBCDIC SPACE or   *
  *                      BINARY ZERO, but no explicit            *
  *                      initialization is done in the COBOL     *
  *                      processing routine to set these bytes.  *
  *                      These slack bytes are technically       *
  *                      irrevlent, as the printer would have    *
  *                      moved to a different print line upon    *
  *                      processing the CC. However, there has   *
  *                      been certain reported cases where some  *
  *                      printers misbehave when certain slack   *
  *                      byte values are encountered. This       *
  *                      option is to provide control to the     *
  *                      client on the QSAM buffer initial       *
  *                      value during COBOL processing. This in  *
  *                      turn would cause the slack bytes to     *
  *                      get a consistent value.                 *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION: This is a NEW FEATURE. Specify the option    *
  *                 according to the need for your environment   *
  *                 if the printer has issue with the slack      *
  *                 bytes.                                       *
  ****************************************************************
  Some printer misbehave with certain value in the slack bytes as
  described in Problem Description.
  
  COB0501T/K COB0502T/K COB0601T/K COB0602T/K COB0603T/K
  

Problem conclusion

Temporary fix

Comments

• New feature: IGZUOPT module option QSAMBUFFINITCHAR added to
  give user control on the initial character used for QSAM buffer
  initialization.
  
  1. In the Language Environment sample data set, .SCEESAMP, use
  the sample JCL IGZ4OPT to create a load module called IGZUOPT.
  Change the JOB card and load library name, and run this JCL to
  generate IGZUOPT.
  2. Put this module in a data set in the STEPLIB concatenation
  when running the application.
  3. Make sure the PTF for this APAR is installed on the system
  which runs the application.
  
  When using the sample JCL IGZ4IPT to create IGZUOPT, JOB STEP1
  of the JCL assembles an assembler program that invokes a MACRO
  called IGZXOPT. This macro is used to specify special COBOL
  runtime options. Choose an option setting according to your
  requirement.  The QSAMBUFFINITCHAR option is supported with the
  following syntax:
  
  IGZXOPT QSAMBUFFINITCHAR=DEFAULT | SPACE | BINZERO
  
  The setting of QSAMBUFFINITCHAR can be DEFAULT, SPACE or
  BINZERO. The default value is DEFAULT:
  
  - If DEFAULT is specified, the QSAM buffer used for
  LINAGE/WRITE AFTER x LINES are using the Enterprise COBOL V5.1
  behaviour.
  
  - If SPACE is specified, the QSAM buffer used for LINAGE/WRITE
  AFTER x LINES are initialized with EBCDIC SPACE (X'40').
  
  - If BINZERO is specified, the QSAM buffer used for
  LINAGE/WRITE AFTER x LINES are initialized with BINARY ZERO
  (X'00').
  

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros

• IGZ3OPT  IGZ4OPT  IGZCEV4  IGZLLIBV IGZXAPI  IGZXCDA  IGZXD24
  IGZXDMR  IGZXLPIO IGZXLPKA IGZXLPKB IGZXLPKC IGZXLPKD IGZXLPKE
  IGZXLPKF IGZXLPKG IGZXOPT  IGZXPK2
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  LE ENT COBOL LI

• Fixed component ID

  568819812

Applicable component levels

• R7A0 PSY UI70070

     UP20/06/23 P F006

• R7B0 PSY UI70075

     UP20/06/23 P F006

• R7C0 PSY UI70076

     UP20/06/23 P F006

Fix is available

• Select the PTF appropriate for your component level. You will be required to sign in. Distribution on physical media is not available in all countries.