Get current timestamp without using SQL query

mlp · New User Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 91

I have a situation wherein I have to fetch the current timestamp without using SQL query. Now naturally quetion arises that why not use SQL query? This is because as per the architecture of the system we are not supposed to put SQL queries in the main module. But I have to get the timestamp in main module itself.

One way to do it, is to code a small program for fetching timestamp which will be called by main module.

But I want to know is there any other way which gives me the timestamp in main module itself?

expat · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:37 pm Post subject:

Timestamp of what

mlp · New User Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 91

I need to get the current timestamp. The same is written in above post.

expat · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:42 pm Post subject:

I am not a programmer but you say that you want a cuurent timestamp, and I asked a timestamp of what.

Do you mean the current system time, a timestamp of a table, a timestamp of something else, a timestamp on your clock card.

The help that you receive is directly related to the amount of useful information that you gives us.

PeterHolland · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:45 pm Post subject:

Expat,

this one is totally yours. Cause i like you.

expat · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:48 pm Post subject:

Peter,

No please, consider this as your Christmas gift

mlp · New User Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 91

I need to get current system timestamp. And the resolution should be till microseconds. Becuase I need to get the microseconds from the timestamp for further processing.

I hope now it is more clear....

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:53 pm Post subject:

if you want to derive/access a db2 CURRENT TIMESTAMP
(which is year, month, day, hour, min, sec, mill-sec)
for a COBOL (any programming language),
then an invocation of SQL from within the run-unit to return the CURRENT TIMESTAMP is what you need to do.

mlp · New User Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 91

I dont want to question anybody's knowledge. I thought the current timestamp will be obivious. But I clarified the same in my successive post.

The reason I posted this topic is not to test any senior member's knowledge. I know the work-around and can implement my solution(as per my first post). But I really want to know that getting the current system timestamp "without using SQL query" is possible or not. I think it is a very honset question going in a very wrong direction.

If my post have sent you any wrong signals then my apologies for the same.

PeterHolland · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:08 pm Post subject:

Intrinsic fucntion CURRENT-DATE

Enterprise COBOL for z/OS Language Reference

ofer71 · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:37 pm Post subject:

Also, REXX's function TIME('L') will give you the same result.

O.

mlp · New User Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 91

Hi Ofer, I think you really got my requirement.

But I need the time (in microseconds) in COBOL program.

Searched the COBOL manual but did not get anything which satisfies my requirement.

I think coding a program which gets the DB2 timestamp which is called by main module is the only way of getting the microseconds in the main module.

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:20 pm Post subject:

expat · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:25 pm Post subject:

Also, the solution given by Ofer DOES go down to micro second level, so it is obvious that you DID NOT follow up on his suggestion.

You can execute TSO commands from a COBOL program, so you can use Ofer's suggestion, so stop being so negative and ask adult questions

Maybe something like ........................

Hi Ofer your suggestion gives me what I want, but can I do this from within a COBOL program and if so can you help me understand how.

Easy eh ?

RahulChaudhari · New User Joined: 03 Nov 2010 Posts: 11 Location: India

Hi all,
simply writting accept <variable-name> from time will give u current timestamp in cobol.
hh:mm:ss:miliseconds please let me know if i am wrong.
thank you.

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:54 pm Post subject:

the accept from CURRENT DATE will return

yyyymmddhhmmssmm
not
yyyymmddhhmmssmmmmmm
the later being a 'timestamp' (without the '-', ':', and '.')

by the way, RahulChaudhari,
you are wrong.

Robert Sample · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 6:01 pm Post subject:

RahulChaudhari, not only do you use the wrong terminology ("timestamp" is not used in the COBOL Language Reference manual anywhere in talking about the ACCEPT verb), but you are also wrong about what is returned.

Bill O'Boyle

A small Assembler sub-program which is CALLED. It issues a STCK instruction, then uses the STCKCONV Macro to convert the STCK value to CCYYMMDDHHMMSSTHMIJU, with "MIJU" representing Milliseconds, Ten-Thousandths, Hundred-Thousandths and Microseconds, respectively.

Normally, this should not be used in CICS. But, check with your CICS Sysprog anyway as he/she might have a workaround.

Also, LE Callable routine CEELOCT will return the date/time as CCYYMMDDHHMMSSTHM, with the low-order "M" representing Milliseconds or the "THM" portion could be interpreted as Milliseconds.

Bill

mlp · New User Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 91

Now, we have two ways of getting the time.

1) With CEELOCT call which gives time till millisecond
2) With REXX function TIME('L') using TSO commands which gets time till last microsecond.

Now question is, which is best suited for the CICS env. I dont know for sure, but Can TSO commands be invoked from CICS env?

RahulChaudhari · New User Joined: 03 Nov 2010 Posts: 11 Location: India