IBM MAINFRAME HELP FORUMS for COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, IMS etc...

jyothimenon1 · Joined: 16 Jul 2008 Posts: 10 Location: bangalore

Hai,

Linkage Section.
01 Parmfield.
02 parm-data pic x(20)
02 parm-length pic s9(4) comp.

Here what will be the value of parm-length before the execution.?

and value if no data passed through PARM parameter in JCL?

Will it create any error?

expat · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:30 pm Post subject:

OK, so I am not a programmer, so someone will possibly let me know if I am wrong :shock:

1) I thought that the length of the parm field was the first 4 bytes of the PARM field defined to WS.

2) Can not ever recall it being signed, but then .......................

3) Here what will be the value of parm-length before the execution.? -- Technically speaking it won't exist before execution

4) Hazard a guess at a big fat zero

5) Will it create any error? -- Why have you not tried any of this for yourself before posting ?

dick scherrer · Joined: 23 Nov 2006 Posts: 7505 Location: 221 B Baker St

Hi Expat,

No, you are not wrong.

This topic (and a couple others) are quite possibly mis-worded interview questions.

dbzTHEdinosauer · Joined: 20 Oct 2006 Posts: 1388 Location: germany

expat,

first 2 bytes (PIC 9(4) comp.) of parm defined in linkage.

other than that, great answer.

this is the 3rd of these type of rookie questions that I have seen today on the board. 'print without dd', 'which record will be read', and this silliness.

all three of these threads should be in interview forum; or has this website decided to dumb-down the technical forums?