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. We recommend you generate the IDL interface copybooks with a starting level greater than one. See Starting COBOL Level for Data Items in Generated Copybooks. This 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. to the IDL:
```
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.
```

If the IDL contains IDL unbounded arrays, the copybook starting level is ignored; the level used is always "1".

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 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.