Calling COBOL through REXX

Harry_harran · New User Joined: 25 Nov 2009 Posts: 10 Location: India

Could you please help me how a COBOL program can be called through a REXX program. And how the libraries can be specified in the JCls.

superk · Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 4:32 pm

Well, in any type of address space your exec may be running in, the Address LINKMVS command will always work.

If your exec is running in a TSO address space then you can use the same commands as you would in TSO. If ISPF services are available, then the ISPF SELECT PGM command is also an option.

Harry_harran · New User Joined: 25 Nov 2009 Posts: 10 Location: India

Thanks superk.

I get it. Now, if suppose we have to pass some variable while after running the exec in TSO.
For expample, for getting the ip address for a specific address we use
TSO PING
and then we will give the web address inorder to get the IP address of the website.

So how to make it ask for the input values and how to pass the values to the COBOL program.

For my next question,
And how the libraries can be specified in the JCls.

If we want to execute a REXX program in batch and if that Rexx program call another COBOL program, then how it has to be coded in JCL.

Thanks,
Harry.

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 5:20 pm

hmmmmm
I wonder to which level in remedial z/OS architecture, elements and features
one must go
to answer the question posed by the TS.

funny, it seems that many think that rexx is a way of doing something on the mainframe
without knowing actually what is going on.

dbzTHEdinosauer · Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 5:37 pm

i have thought about my previous post,
and have decided to make a correction:

FROM THIS:

I wonder to which level in remedial z/OS architecture, elements and features

TO THIS:

I wonder to what depths of remedial z/OS architecture, elements and features must we plunge

Marso · Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 7:05 pm

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 7:17 pm

It can be done in several ways, as Kevin indicates, from a REXX exec running under TSO, you can issue the TSO CALL command. AFAIK, it has a limitation that you can only pass a single halfword prefixed string that can't be modified.

In a REXX exec use ADDRESS LINK or ADDRESS ATTACH. OR in REXX exec use ADDRESS LINKMVS or ADDRESS ATTCHMVS.

A called compiled program can use the IKJCT441 service to access and update the values of REXX variables.

And here are some existing topics:

ibmmainframes.com/about32320.html
ibmmainframes.com/about42923.html
ibmmainframes.com/about52076.html
ibmmainframes.com/about38247.html

PS.: Please learn to search.