On 2019-09-18 11:08 PM, Farley, Peter x23353 wrote:
Agreed 100%, but in the meantime I'll take the control block translations if I
can get them and write the callable service myself. Or guide the new hire who
knows C to do it for me in Metal C and thereafter take ownership for
maintenance down the road.
You apps guys have so much utility code to do useful things it would be
great if you could share it! It's not core business code so I don't see
the problem with setting up a github repo for z/OS COBOL common code.
Now that git is
stable on z/OS you can have all your stuff in the file system and use
Makefiles and/or the cob2 z/OS UNIX COBOL compiler to build your stuff.
If it had legs it could event make it into Zowe at some point? An elite
COBOL programmer like your Peter
who also knows assembler could moderate the repo.
Side question: The Wikipedia entry for "IBM PL/S" says this:
"As the market for computers and software shifted away from IBM mainframes and MVS,
IBM recanted and has offered the current versions of PL/S to selected customers (ISVs
through the Developer Partner program.)"
Is that still true? I thought I read (probably on this forum) that that offer
was later rescinded?
I don't think so. ISVs need a license to use PL/X and it's restricted
for use only on LPARs with limited access. I don't know why as it's a
programming language but yet again if IBM made it public they would have
to support it
which comes with a cost and risk.
Peter
-----Original Message-----
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> On Behalf Of
David Crayford
Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2019 10:40 AM
To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Subject: Re: C headers in z/OS 2.4
You make a valid point but it comes down to IBM assigning resources (money) to
where they can add the most value to the customer. I would argue that instead
of publishing COBOL copybooks for control blocks a better API would be callable
services to provide the required information, such as your JFCB example.
On 2019-09-18 10:22 PM, Farley, Peter x23353 wrote:
Why does everyone assume that having MACLIB/MODGEN headers in C (or any other language)
is only for systems-level code and exits? There are quite a few business application
programs and customer-specific utility programs out here that can and do use what you may
consider "system" API's to satisfy business application needs, not system
coding needs. A simple example would be using JFCB (via an assembler subroutine today)
to retrieve DSNAME to store in business application records. Certainly that assembler
subroutine is probably more future-proof if recoded in Metal C, but it isn't part of the
operating system or used as a system exit.
Don’t forget customer business application and utility program uses for these
new versions of MACLIB/MODGEN data areas is all I am trying to say here.
Peter
-----Original Message-----
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> On
Behalf Of David Crayford
Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2019 10:17 PM
To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Subject: Re: C headers in z/OS 2.4
On 2019-09-18 12:16 AM, Seymour J Metz wrote:
I'd rather have PL/I headers.
I don't think IBM could justify doing any work for PL/I because there isn't a
compelling requirement from customers or vendors to use PL/I for systems level
code.
On the other hand, Metal/C is taking off very quickly and is being used by
vendors to write infrastructure and products. The company I work for only uses
Metal/C for new code. Assembler and PL/X, while still very important, are
legacy languages. Some products that were originally written in PL/X have
started to use Metal/C for new code. The reason for this is obvious. Assembler
and PL/X programmers are disappearing fast and attracting good young talent to
replace them is difficult. We have some brilliant young engineers who are
writing systems level code in C.
Retaining them would be difficult if they had to work primarily in a legacy
language. These guys all learn C at college so we just have to teach them z/OS.
The smart ones pick it up quickly.
We use Metal/C to write cross-memory servers, pc-ss, pc-cp, AR-mode
stuff etc, etc. A lot of that code has been open sourced
https://github.com/zowe/zowe-common-c
--
Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz
http://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3
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