Inappropriate Use of Trailing FILLER with an Array (179467)

SYMPTOMS

A parameter with trailing bytes of FILLER specified is declared as an array. The specified amount of FILLER follows the array as a whole, rather than each element of the array, as might be expected. This can be demonstrated by exporting COBOL statements from this component.

CAUSE

You can use Component Builder (CB) to specify that a parameter, declared as an array, has trailing bytes of FILLER. Trailing FILLER is declared with the COBOL Definition tab of the parameter's Properties page. (Arrays are declared with the Arrays tab.) The number of bytes of FILLER to be transmitted From Host or To Host (or both) are also specified. This implies that a COMTI run-time version would treat it like the following example in COBOL:

   10 GROUP-ARRAY OCCURS y TIMES.
      15 ELEMENT PIC x.
      15 FILLER  PIC x.

However, run-time version actually treats it as the following COBOL:

   10 ELEMENT PIC x OCCURS y TIMES.
   10 FILLER  PIC x.

In other words, the FILLER will trail the array, rather than each element of the array.

WORKAROUND

If you do have an array and each element has FILLER following it, then the item description must be treated as a recordset with one column. Declare a recordset with the element and its trailing FILLER. Declare the parameter with the recordset as its data type. Then set the parameter's array properties.

You can also use the COBOL Import Wizard, which correctly handles importing either of the above COBOL samples.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be an issue in Microsoft COM Transaction Integrator for CICS and IMS, version 1.0. It is not a bug. You must be aware of the circumstances under which this behavior occurs because it relates to the accurate disposition of data both to and from the mainframe server application.