The COBOL target of the generated files

By default, the generated files are stored with the design files in a folder whose default name can be changed. However, you can separate them from the design files inside the generation project, or even change the generation project and folder.

Generation target of the generated files

You can separate the generated files from the design files in the project by indicating a generation root path for them. This path will be taken into account only for the instances that have kept their default COBOL folder (folder of the design files) in their Definition tab.

To indicate this path, you can click Change project properties in the Definition tab of the instance to be generated or of its Library. You can also right-click the project in the Design Explorer view or the Project Explorer view (Resource perspective) and select Properties > Root paths properties.

This path is the first level (or levels) of the folders tree for the generated files in the Project Explorer view. In the Definition tab of the generatable instance or of the Library, it is automatically inserted at the beginning of the COBOL folder or Map folder (for Screens). For example, if the COBOL folder is CAN/IBM/PRO and the root path is gen, the files will be generated in gen/CAN/IBM/PRO. Moreover, for Screens, if you enter a different value in the Map folder, such as map, the map will be generated separately in map/CAN/IBM/PRO.

If you indicate a root path after the generation, the generated files will be immediately and automatically moved to the new target.

Generation target of the metadata files

These files are technical files that contain the location of the design file and information that is required to process the generated code. They can be viewed in the Project Explorer view only (Resource perspective). Their extensions always end with pdp.

You can separate them from the other generated files by indicating a specific root path in the properties of the project. These properties are accessed from the Definition tab of the generatable instance or of its Library in the Design Explorer view, or from the properties of the project in the Project Explorer view.

However, you must be careful because these files are required to regenerate and edit the COBOL code. Moreover, they must be synchronized with the corresponding generated files (for example the cbl file for the Programs, Screens, or Server). So, you must always upload or download these files together with their corresponding generated files.

If you indicate a root path after the generation, the metadata files will be immediately and automatically moved to the new target.

Changing the generation target

You can also indicate a generation project and folder different from those of the design files. You can then structure your Rational® Programming Patterns projects like Rational Developer for System z® (IBM® Developer for z Systems™) projects and easily map them to System z.

You can select a project, a COBOL folder and a map folder (for Screens) from the Definition tab of the instance to be generated or of its Library.

You can customize the default value of the COBOL generation folder by using a Java extension point. For explanations, see Customization of the default generation target.


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