Customizing for processing COBOL copybooks

To use the view, edit, copy, print, or data create functions with a COBOL copybook, you need to make a COBOL compiler available to Z Data Tools.

This functionality requires ADATA, therefore the COBOL compiler must have the ADATA capability. COBOL compilers such as VS COBOL II, and OS/COBOL, which do not support ADATA, cannot be used. All currently supported versions of IBM® Enterprise COBOL for z/OS® and OS/390® provide this support, and can therefore be used.

Z Data Tools provides two internal versions of the COBOL compiler for use in preference to a licensed site COBOL compiler. These compilers are installed into HFM.SHFMMOD1, if you installed Z Data Tools into the default libraries, with load modules named HFM8xxxx or HFM9xxxx. (The Z Data Tools COBOL compilers are reduced-function compilers and cannot be used to generate executable COBOL programs.)

The Z Data Tools internal COBOL compiler is used in preference to the licensed site compiler. The version of the internal compiler is selected with the ALTCOB option. See the table Available COBOL compilers for details.

For information about using a licensed site COBOL compiler, see Using a licensed site COBOL compiler. For more information about using the Z Data Tools internal COBOL compiler, see Using the Z Data Tools COBOL compiler.

The following table indicates the checking sequence to determine which COBOL compiler will be used.
Table 1. COBOL compiler order of precedence
Option Version COBOL Module Notes
HFMCOB DD DUMMY Internal HFMxRCTL Can be allocated in job step, TSO procedure, or via ALLOC.
HFMCOB DD DSN=compiler library External IGYCRCTL Can be allocated in job step, TSO procedure, or via ALLOC.
RACROUTE STATUS=ACCESS FACILITY Class Profile FILEM.COBOL.EXTERNAL CONTROL access or higher External IGYCRCTL Forces Z Data Tools to use an external COBOL compiler.
If none of the above, Z Data Tools will LOAD module HFMxRCTL Internal HFMxRCTL This is the default compiler. See the table, Available COBOL compilers, under the ALTCOB option for COBOL versions provided.
Note:
  • External refers to licensed site COBOL compiler (IGYCRCTL).
  • Internal refers to the cutdown COBOL compiler shipped with Z Data Tools (HFM8RCTL or HFM9RCTL).

Use the SHOWCOB command to check whether Z Data Tools is using its internal COBOL compiler or another compiler.

  • In batch, submit a Z Data Tools batch job with this control statement: 
    $$FILEM SHOWCOB
    If a licensed, supported COBOL compiler is available to Z Data Tools, the job output will show: 
    HFM0024I The Customer Licensed COBOL Compiler will be used.
    If Z Data Tools is using its own COBOL compiler, the job output will show: 
    HFM0023I The Z Data Tools supplied COBOL Compiler will be used
  • Under ISPF, enter SHOWCOB on any Z Data Tools command line. If a licensed site supported COBOL compiler is available to Z Data Tools, this message is displayed: 
    Using Licensed COBOL
    If Z Data Tools is using its own COBOL compiler, this message is displayed: 
    The Z Data Tools supplied COBOL Compiler will be used
Note:
Additional messages will be produced detailing why the Z Data Tools COBOL compiler is being used.

Note that your COBOL compiler must be both licensed and supported. If you are using a licensed, non-supported compiler (for example, a licensed version of VS COBOL II), the message will still be: Using Licensed COBOL, but any attempt to compile copybooks will fail.