Using the Generated Copybooks

This document explains how clients built with the COBOL Wrapper use the generated copybooks. It covers the following topics:

IDL Interface Copybooks
COBINIT Copybook
COBEXIT Copybook

IDL Interface Copybooks

The IDL interface copybooks (see folder include) are the API of the COBOL client application using client interface objects. You can customize the Starting COBOL Level for Data Items in Generated Copybooks according to your needs.

If IDL unbounded groups without maximum (/V) or arrays without maximum (for example (A100/V)) are contained in the IDL, these are mapped with keyword UNBOUNDED. In this case:

cut and paste the top-level COBOL groups where
- anywhere deeper the keyword UNBOUNDED is contained into the LINKAGE SECTION
- no keyword UNBOUNDED is contained into the WORKING STORAGE SECTION
For details see Using IDL Unbounded Groups or Arrays without Maximum.

For all other IDLs, a starting level greater than one allows you to

embed (include) the generated copybook into other existing COBOL structures:
```
1 MYGROUP.
  10 . . .
  10 . . .
  10 MYIDL.
  COPY MYIDL.
```
specify usage clauses such as EXTERNAL, GLOBAL etc.:
```
1 MYIDL1 GLOBAL.
  COPY MYIDL1.
```
use multiple generated copybooks with duplicate parameter names on IDL level 1 in the same COBOL program:
```
1 MYIDL1.
  COPY MYIDL1.
1 MYIDL2.
  COPY MYIDL2.
```

More information:

For IDL unbounded groups or arrays without maximum, see the array-definition under Software AG IDL Grammar in the IDL Editor documentation for the syntax on how to describe unbounded arrays within the IDL file and refer to unbound-array-index. For COBOL mappings, see Mapping Fixed and Unbounded Arrays and Mapping Groups and Periodic Groups.
For writing a standard call interface client according to scenario CICS | Batch | IMS | Micro Focus, see Step 2: Declare the Data Structures for RPC Stubs.
For writing a client according to scenario Using the COBOL Wrapper for CICS with DFHCOMMAREA Calling Convention (z/OS and z/VSE), see Using the RPC Communication Area with EXEC CICS LINK.

COBINIT Copybook

The COBINIT copybook (see folder include) is generated if option Copybook for RPC Communication Area is selected. Its purpose is to set communication parameters such as COMM-ETB-BROKER-ID, COMM-ETB-SERVER-NAME etc. into the RPC Communication Area. See also The RPC Communication Area (Reference). If the counterpart of your RPC client application is a Natural RPC server running with Natural Security, or an RPC server running with impersonation (see Impersonation under z/OS (CICS, Batch, IMS) | z/VSE (CICS)), the security token can be generated. See Using the COBOL Wrapper with Natural Security and Impersonation.

COBEXIT Copybook

The COBEXIT copybook (see folder include) is generated if option Copybook for RPC Communication Area is selected. Its purpose is to check and map error codes. COBOL statements that have been commented out are generated into the copybook as an example.