When your application is unsuccessful in importing a COBOL file
into your project, your application will display an error message. You may
then correct the problem and re-import the file.
Types of Error Messages
- COBOL files that are part of your workspace (local): When
your application is unsuccessful in importing a local COBOL file (which is
part of the workspace) into your project, syntax error messages will appear
in the task list. To view the source of the error in your code, click on the
error message line in the problems view, as illustrated here: Errors will also
be logged in a generic log file, located under the metadata directory: [workspace]\.metadata\CommonBaseEvents.log
- COBOL files that are not part of your workspace: If the
file is not part of the workspace the syntax error messages, if any, are logged
in the log file. The error messages will also show up in the details section
of the importer failure error dialog.
- Data name mangling: Only the Filler data item name is mangled
to fill_XX (where XX is a suffix that is incremented for each filler data
item encountered under a 01 level data structure. It is reset whenever a new
01 level data structure occurs) . For example
1 struct.
5 Group1.
10 Filler PIC X(30). -> fill_0
10 Sub-Group1.
15 Filler PIC x(10). -> fill_1
5 Group2.
10 Filler PIC X(30). -> fill_2
10 Sub-Group1.
15 Filler PIC x(10). -> fill_3
1 struct1.
5 Group1.
10 Filler PIC X(30). -> fill_0
10 Sub-Group1.
15 Filler PIC x(10). -> fill_1
5 Group2.
10 Filler PIC X(30). -> fill_2
10 Sub-Group1.
15 Filler PIC x(10). -> fill_3
Resolving Import Problems
- Problem: Import succeeds, but there is no data: Possible reasons
for this include
- The COBOL source is a nested program (which the COBOL importer does not
support).
- A COPY book (.cpy file) contains a complete program.
Solution- Rename it to .cbl, .cob or .ccp
- Change the default behavior of the file extension .cpy to refer to Full
Program. You can change the file extension support for .cpy to "FP" by using
the File Extension Support table in the "More COBOL options" tab of the COBOL
importer preferences page (Window > Preferences >
Importer > COBOL).
- Problem: COPY library not found: The error "COPY library not found"
error may appear in the task list as follows:
The reason
for this error is that the COPYBOOK(s) are not in the same location as the
main source file. To resolve this, make sure that the COPYBOOKs are located
in the same location as the main source file. In addition, you can use the
SYSLIB table in the Preferences page to provide location(s) to find the copybooks.
- Problem: The current locale does not support DBCS data: The error
"The current locale does not support DBCS data" may appear in the problems
task list as follows:
To
resolve this problem, change the compile time locale to the one that supports
DBCS data by going into the "More COBOL options" tab of the COBOL importer
preferences page (Window > Preferences > Importer > COBOL) and select, for example, ja_JP for "Compile time locale name."
- Problem: Non-COBOL character(s) were found: The error "Non-COBOL
character(s) were found" may appear in the problems task list as follows:

Solution- If the COBOL source has data names in DBCS, change the compile time locale
to the one which supports DBCS data by going into the "More COBOL options"
tab of the COBOL importer preferences page (Window
> Preferences > Importer > COBOL)
and select say ja_JP for "Compile time locale name".