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M I C R O F O C U S C O B O L T O O L B O X
V3.1.39
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RELEASE NOTES
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for
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Co-Writer
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION
RESTRICTIONS
IMPORTANT CHANGES
KNOWN ERRORS
DOCUMENTATION CHANGES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
============
Co-Writer is a collection of software tools that provides you with
access to COBOL data files, without the need to write programs to
read and format data. The data dictionary provides you with the
interface between Co-Writer and the COBOL data files.
Co-Writer Builder enables the application developer to construct a data
dictionary, which can be accessed by users of Co-Writer.
Co-Writer Designer enables the application user to design and modify
reports which access the COBOL data files.
Co-Writer Reporter enables the end user to run a report designed using
Co-Writer Designer from a command-line or program interface.
These Release Notes describe the files and programs which you will need
to construct a working Co-Writer system. When you have built and
tested this system, you can then supply the application user with certain
files and programs which will enable them to run reports.
RESTRICTIONS
============
o This release of Co-Writer does not support split keys in the source
data files. However, split keys can be handled by writing an I-O
module. I-O modules are explained in the Toolbox Operating Guide,
chapter 8.
o You must ensure that the Co-Writer Builder is closed after each run.
If it has not been closed, and the program prematurely terminates
(for example, after a system failure), the data dictionary in use may
become corrupt and you will have to restore it from a backup copy.
For this reason, we recommend that you make backup copies of all data
dictionaries.
o If the item displayed is the 01 level and the record length is
greater than 999 bytes, the most significant digit of the record
length will be truncated. For example, if the record length is 1024
bytes, the displayed length will be 024. This is purely a screen
display problem. Co-Writer handles the record length correctly.
KNOWN ERRORS
============
There are no Known Errors in this release.
IMPORTANT CHANGES
=================
There are a few important late changes to Co-Writer that will affect
its use on UNIX. These changes have not been reflected in the Toolbox
Operating Guide:
o Change in use of the CWRSYSTEM environment variable
o Previous extract file compatibility
The CWRSYSTEM environment variable
----------------------------------
Throughout the Co-Writer chapters of the Toolbox Operating Guide it is
stated that the CWRSYSTEM environment variable should point to ALL of
the Co-Writer Designer (and Co-Writer Reporter) programs and files.
This is now no longer the case.
The CWRSYSTEM environment variable now only relates to the position of
one of the Co-Writer system files: cwrmsgs.rel
This file contains information that can be specific to an individual user
and so for multi-user environments each user should have their own
localized copy of this file, pointed to by the CWRSYSTEM environment
variable. The search path Co-Writer uses to locate the
cwrmsgs.rel file is as follows to allow the greatest flexibility :-
1 cwrmsgs.rel is looked for in the directory Co-Writer Designer was
invoked from.
2 If not found, the directories specified by the CWRSYSTEM environment
variable are searched.
3 Finally, $COBDIR is searched if the file has still not been located.
Extract file compatability
--------------------------
The Co-Writer Builder documentation states that a new extract file must
be created before a user can use Co-Writer Designer on existing files.
This is no longer the case.
All previous versions of extract files can be freely interchanged with
this latest release of Co-Writer Designer, until the point when
the extract file becomes modified (that is, a new report is created), from
that point on the extract file will only work with V3.0 Co-Writer and
above.
Data-dictionaries are automatically upgraded from previous versions to
the latest version of the dictionary on loading into Co-Writer Builder.
Once loaded, compatibility with pre V3.0 Co-Writer ceases, although
backups of the original dictionary are automatically taken as indicated in
the documentation.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
=========================
Setting up Co-Writer
--------------------
o You can set environment variables to point to the directories which
Co-Writer should use for the work area, data files, source programs
and sort file. See Chapter 8 of your Toolbox Operating Guide for further
details of setting environment variables.
o If more than one user is to use Co-Writer Designer at one time then you
must ensure each user has their own version of the cwrmsgs.rel file
in a local directory.
Ensure that the CWRSYSTEM environment variable points to this file.
Running the Co-Writer Report Tutorial
-------------------------------------
o Before you begin reading through Chapter 9 (Co-Writer Designer) of the
Toolbox Operating Guide, and following the tutorial process outlined
there, ensure that the file "e-parts.rel" (that is, the extract file
for the "parts" data dictionary), is the file supplied with the
Co-Writer software, not the one you generated while following the
tutorial in Chapter 8 (Co-Writer Builder). This will ensure that all
sections of this User Guide are consistent with the demonstration
system.
Calling Co-Writer Designer From an Application Program
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o You can invoke Co-Writer Designer from an application program.
For example, you may have a program "cwrcall" which is part of your
application. You need this program to call Co-Writer Designer,
possibly from a menu. The following steps will enable you to achieve
this:
1. Include the statement "call designer" in the "cwrcall" program.
2. Ensure that all Co-Writer Designer libraries and files are on
the COBDIR environment variable. These files are :-
designer.lbr
reporter.lbr
painter.lbr
cwrcli.gnt
3. Set the CWRSYSTEM environment variable, which specifies the
directory in which the Co-Writer Reporter message file is
located. These file must have read and write permissions and is
called :
cwrmsgs.rel
4. The help file "cwdesign.hnf" must be placed on the COBHNF
environment variable.
5. "cwrcall" can now perform the above call to "designer"; the other
Co-Writer programs will be dynamically loaded at run time.
Record Locks
------------
o The run-time switch "B" determines the positioning of the file record
pointer after a record lock has been detected. Co-Writer Reporter
detects record locks when reading data files in a multi-user
situation and will respond as follows; If the "B" switch is not set
(that is, COBSW=-B), the file record pointer is not advanced past the
locked record. Therefore, Co-Writer Reporter will wait until the lock
is released before continuing to run the report. A message will
appear to inform you of this.
If the "B" switch is set (i.e. COBSW=+B) then the file record pointer
is advanced past the locked record. Therefore, Co-Writer Reporter
will simply continue to read through the file with no difficulty. No
message will appear.
Function Keys
-------------
o So that function keys can be activated within Co-Writer, an
alternative method of function key selection is provided. After
entering Co-Writer Builder or Co-Writer Designer, type the forward
slash character "/" followed by the letter "m", this will reveal all
the alternate function key keystrokes.
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Micro Focus is a registered trademark of Micro Focus Limited.
Micro Focus COBOL and Co-Writer are trademarks of Micro Focus Limited.
UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX Systems Laboratories, Inc.
RM/COBOL is a registered trademark of Ryan-McFarland Corporation.
X/Open is a trademark of the X/Open Company Limited.
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@(#)Vrn/cowriter.1/3.1.03/15Jul93
Copyright (C) 1992-93 by Micro Focus Limited