COBOL Mapping Editor

This document covers the following topics:

See also User-defined Mapping under COBOL to IDL Mapping for guidelines on IDL extraction by COBOL syntax.

Introduction

A COBOL source program mostly does not contain all the information needed for IDL mapping. With the Mapping Editor you enter this missing information. In general, mapping the COBOL data items to IDL with the Mapping Editor is a two-step process:

  1. First, select the COBOL data items of the COBOL interface.

  2. Then map the COBOL interface to the IDL interface. Define

    • which COBOL data items are mapped to IDL (Select REDEFINE paths, Suppress Unneeded COBOL Data Items)

    • the direction of the COBOL data items (Map to [In, Out, InOut])

    • field values for COBOL data items that are not sent by clients to the COBOL server (Set COBOL Data Items to Constant)

    • COBOL server with multiple functions (Map to Multiple IDL Interfaces)

    • COBOL server output depends on COBOL input (Map to Multiple IDL Interfaces)

    • COBOL server with conditional output (Set Multiple Possible Output (MPO) Structures)

    • COBOL table usage (Set Array Mapping (fixed <-> unbounded))

    • COBOL data items mapped to binary (Map to Binary, Revert Binary Mapping)

    • etc.

IDL Extraction per Interface Type

The following table provides guidelines on IDL extraction per interface type. See Supported COBOL Interface Types. For the CICS interface types DFHCOMMAREA and DFHCOMMAREA Large Buffer, the guidelines distinguish further between

  • COBOL server programs overlaying the input data structure with a different output data structure, and

  • COBOL server programs using same structures on input and output.

You already selected this in the checkbox Input Message same as Output Message in Step 4: Define the Extraction Settings and Start Extraction:

graphics/interfaceTypes_inSameAsOut.png

Environment Interface Type CICS Message on Input and Output Guidelines
CICS DFHCOMMAREA (3) same (1,4) graphics/toc_closed.png More info
different (2,5) graphics/toc_closed.png More info
Large Buffer same (1) graphics/toc_closed.png More info
different (2) graphics/toc_closed.png More info
Channel Container graphics/toc_closed.png More info
webMethods Integration Server COBOL Converter (for use by EntireX Adapter) same (1) graphics/toc_closed.png More info
different (2) graphics/toc_closed.png More info
Batch Standard Linkage graphics/toc_closed.png More info
IMS BMP with Standard Linkage graphics/toc_closed.png More info
MPP Message Interface (IMS Connect) graphics/toc_closed.png More info

Notes:

  1. Checkbox Input Message same as Output Message in Step 4: Define the Extraction Settings and Start Extraction is checked. The COBOL data structure of the input message is the same as the structure of the output message (applies to CICS or COBOL Converter).
  2. Checkbox Input Message same as Output Message in Step 4: Define the Extraction Settings and Start Extraction is cleared. The COBOL data structure of the input message is different to the structure of the output message (that is, the output overlays the input; applies to CICS or COBOL Converter).
  3. Your DFHCOMMAREA COBOL server must be DPL-enabled to be directly supported by EntireX. The distributed program (DPL) link function enables a CICS client program to call another CICS program (the server program) in a remote CICS region. Technically, a COBOL server is DPL-enabled if

    • CICS is able to call the COBOL server remotely

    • the DFHCOMMAREA layout does not contain pointers.

    If your program is not DPL-enabled, see What to do with other Interface Types? in Introduction to the IDL Extractor for COBOL.
  4. See the following COBOL server examples for CICS input message the same as CICS output message:
  5. See the following COBOL server examples for CICS input message different to CICS output message: