How can i increase cobol array size

vamskrish · New User Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 27 Location: virginia

hi
currently i have a cobol table with array size 50000. i.e. occurs 50000 times. i would like to increase this size to 150000 times but i am unable to. getting a compile error. i understand that there is some storage issue with this increment. whats the max limit of the array and how can i increase it and what are the various compile options i can use.

thanks
vamshi

William Thompson · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:07 pm

Assuming you have Enterprise COBOL, a quick look at the Language Reference found Appendix B. Compiler limits.

How big is each entry in the array?
If each entry is greater than 111 bytes, 150,000 entriles will exceed the max table size.
If that is not it, what else can it be?

vamskrish · New User Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 27 Location: virginia

thanks for ur repy. each entry is approx., 90 bytes.

William Thompson · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:24 pm

vamskrish · New User Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 27 Location: virginia

thanks. ok the length of each element of array is 90. well here is what i have -

01 table-array.
05 array-cnt pic s9(9) usage comp.
05 array-max-cnt pic s9(9) usage comp. (this will have value 50000)
05 ws-array occurs 1 to 50000 times depending on array-cnt.
10 ws-a pic 9(30).
10 ws-b pic 9(30).
10 ws-c pic 9(30).

actually i am not getting any error but my results are wrong since we are unable to populate the data beyond 50000 occurances. all that we are doing is calling a subprogram which reads a sequential file and loads the data into the array and goes back to the calling program.

Craq Giegerich · Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:55 am

William Thompson · Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:11 am

vamskrish · New User Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 27 Location: virginia

well. yes we cannot populate beyond 50000 and yes the subprogram was made aware of that fact and we are handling the condition where in if it exceeds beyond 50000 it writes to error report.

my concern is that, when we are increasing the limit i am getting compilation error, some storage issue. i could only increase to 85000 but not beyond that. but i want to increase it to 150000, so inorder to handle such a limit how do we increase the storage. do u think the amode31 or rmode31 options will work?

vamskrish · New User Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 27 Location: virginia

in addition to the above, do u think the problem could be because of compiling below 16mb line...

William Thompson · Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:42 am

Why are still "below" the line?

With any recent COBOL, the default is ABOVE.......What (or why) is this compiling below?

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:21 am

Hello,

A couple of questions - maybe not exactly on the mark, but i was just thinking out loud.

1. how are 3 30-digit fields used?
2. possibly use 3 arrays (each with an 01 and mentioned in the CALL) , instead of one (an "a" array, and a "b" array, and a "c" array). . . not pretty, but gets around the current "limit" you are dealing with.

TG Murphy · Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:29 pm

You mentioned a compile error - some storage issue. Can you show us this error?

By the way, you should also review your design. The fact that you need to boost the table from 50000 to 150000 tells us that the maximum case scenario may not be stable - that in another year or two you may be faced with having to boost it upwards again - from 150000 to 250000.

Of course you know better than us whether this is the case - but make sure that your design is future-proof. My fear is that it is not.

Is it possible to adopt a design that does not require you to load the entire file into memory? If so, then you may be better off doing that. If you can tell us more about your logic, then folks here may be able to suggest alternate designs.

vamskrish · New User Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 27 Location: virginia

hey thx for all ur replies. well as u mentioned its not future proof so we have replaced that logic with writing into ksds vsam files. but the problem with using this new logic is that the job is taking 7 hrs to execute when compared to 55 min with the array logic. so i was wondering if we can go back to array logic and try to increase the storage somehow.

so do u think accessing vsam takes more time than accessing array?
we r now thinking of replacing the vsam logic with db2 logic.

William Thompson · Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:38 pm

Phrzby Phil · Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:05 pm

Any answers to Dick's questions?

dick scherrer · Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:16 pm

Hi Phil,

I was wondering 'bout that myself. . . .

Given the difference in execute times, i'm also wondering how many "hits" there are?

If we know more about the process and not just this small part of it, we could possibly suggest some good alternatives.

TG Murphy · Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:35 pm

Yes - please tell us more about what you are trying to do.