Re: Call to a COBOL program from an SQR

[David Thompson-Hall <david.thompson-hall@DOIT.WISC.EDU>]

At 01:47 PM 4/12/01 -0400, you wrote:
>If you know how to start the COBOL program from the command line, you can
>use the CALL SYSTEM USING function to execute the COBOL program.
>
>You can search the sqrug.com archives for lots of examples on how to
>properly use CALL SYSTEM.
>
>If you don't know how to start the program from the command line, try to run
>it that way and you may get prompted for the information that is required at
>run time.

However, if you're trying to call a COBOL that does DB access, then the
situation is more complex.  You need to be able to pass the logon and
password to the database.

I don't think this has been done successfully in PeopleSoft, since in that
case the DB SYSADM password is a closely guarded secret, and you have to
modify the PS process for calling COBOLs to pass along the password.  (This
is described but not detailed fully in the "SQR in Peoplesoft and other
applications" book by Landries and Landries.  If you can get your DBAs or
Sysadmins to agree to customizing this central piece of PS functionality,
maybe it would work, but ours won't.)

I say I don't think it's been done in PS because I asked about this a few
months ago, and nobody had an answer then either...

I think for non-PeopleSoft, the trick is just calling the COBOL program
correctly, and then CALL SYSTEM USING should do the trick.

DTH

David Thompson-Hall                                     1210 W. Dayton St.
Programmer/Analyst                                      Madison, WI 53706
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University of Wisconsin-Madison david.thompson-hall@doit.wisc.edu