PH57790: MARCH PTF UI90994 GIVES DIFFERENT RESULTS WHEN MOVING ALPHANUMERIC DATA (INVALID ZONE/SIGN NIBBLES) TO ZONED DECIMAL

Obtain the fix for this APAR.

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• z/OS 2.5 - Customer using the January PTF UI90155 has noticed a
  different behavior when they applied the March PTF UI90994:
  When moving alphanumeric values (from an alphanumeric data item)
  to a zoned decimal data item (shorter than the sender data
  item), and compiling with INVDATA(FORCENUMCMP,NOCLEANSIGN), the
  March compiler seems to be fixing both the invalid zone nibbles
  and the invalid sign nibble, whereas the January PTF was only
  fixing the invalid sign nibble (which we also question since the
  customer is using NOCLEANSIGN).
  Note: When the same move happens and both sender and receiver
  data items have the same length, only the sign nibble is fixed.
  The zone nibbles are not fixed and the March PTF still behaves
  as the January PTF did.
  

Local fix

• BYPASS/CIRCUMVENTION:
  None
  
  RECOVERY ACTION:
  Apply PTF
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED: Users of Enterprise COBOL 6.3 compiling and  *
  *                 running a program that satisfies the         *
  *                 following criteria: (i) the program contains *
  *                 a MOVE from an alphanumeric sender to an     *
  *                 integer zoned decimal receiver that has a    *
  *                 different number of digits than the          *
  *                 alphanumeric sender; or contains a MOVE from *
  *                 a zoned decimal sender to a zoned decimal    *
  *                 receiver having a different integer          *
  *                 precision but the same decimal precision as  *
  *                 the sender. (ii) the program is compiled     *
  *                 with the INVDATA option in effect and the    *
  *                 sender data item in the MOVE operation       *
  *                 contains one or more invalid zone nibbles.   *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Unexpected runtime results with respect *
  *                      to preservation of invalid zone nibbles *
  *                      from the sender to the receiver during  *
  *                      the move operation. In particular,      *
  *                      invalid zone nibbles in affected move   *
  *                      operations will be fixed unlike in      *
  *                      programs compiled with a 6.3 compiler   *
  *                      that does not have the March, 2023 PTF  *
  *                      (UI90994) applied.                      *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION: Apply the IBM-provided PTF                   *
  ****************************************************************
  Changes in the compiler's code generator resulted in different
  instructions being generated for certain alphanumeric to zoned
  moves and zoned to zoned moves. This change meant that the code
  did not always preserve the user's invalid zone nibbles during
  the move, which was a non-guaranteed behaviour that was present
  in versions of the 6.3 compiler prior to the March, 2023 PTF
  (UI90994).
  

Problem conclusion

• The compiler was updated to restore the previous behaviour with
  respect to alphanumeric to zoned moves and zoned to zoned moves
  in the presence of invalid zone nibbles in the sender.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

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

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

Modules/Macros

• IGY8RWTU IGYCASMB IGYCCBE  IGYCCCRT IGYCCICS IGYCCSRV IGYCDGEN
  IGYCDIAG IGYCDMAP IGYCEN$0 IGYCEN$1 IGYCEN$2 IGYCEN$3 IGYCEN$4
  IGYCEN$5 IGYCEN$8 IGYCEN$D IGYCEN$R IGYCFGEN IGYCFREE IGYCINIT
  IGYCJA$0 IGYCJA$1 IGYCJA$2 IGYCJA$3 IGYCJA$4 IGYCJA$5 IGYCJA$8
  IGYCJA$D IGYCJA$R IGYCLIBR IGYCLSTR IGYCLVL0 IGYCLVL1 IGYCLVL2
  IGYCLVL3 IGYCLVL8 IGYCMALL IGYCOSCN IGYCPGEN IGYCRCTL IGYCRDPR
  IGYCRDSC IGYCREAL IGYCRWT  IGYCSCAN IGYCSIMD IGYCUE$0 IGYCUE$1
  IGYCUE$2 IGYCUE$3 IGYCUE$4 IGYCUE$5 IGYCUE$8 IGYCUE$D IGYCUE$R
  IGYCXREF IGYDRV   IGYEQCWI IGYMSGE  IGYMSGK  IGYMSGT  IGYQCBE
  IGYQSPLT IGYZQEN6 IGYZQENU IGYZQJP6 IGYZQJPN
  

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  ENT COBOL FOR Z

• Fixed component ID

  5655EC600

Applicable component levels

• R630 PSY UI94489

     UP23/11/22 P F311

• R631 PSY UI94490

     UP23/11/22 P F311

• R632 PSY UI94491

     UP23/11/22 P F311

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.