RE: division by zero in ILE/COBOL...

["Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Michael Rosinger
>
> If
> division by zero is encountered at run-time and no exception handler is
> specified (i.e. no ON SIZE ERROR clause) ILE/COBOL executes an implicit
> "MOVE ZERO TO result-field" and continues normal processing with the next
> statement. I have confirmed this with IBM and have an open PMR on this
> issue.
>
> Are any of you as concerned about this as I am?

Well, you know that I'm much more an RPG programmer than a COBOL programmer,
Michael, but I do think this is a serious issue, and here's why: I think the
future of the box rests on its integration abilities.  There will always be
cheaper alternatives for single-purpose machines such as web servers or file
servers or whatever, but nothing matches the platform as an overall business
application engine.  And this will make the box attractive from two
different perspectives: for companies trying to consolidate large numbers of
small servers onto a single easily-managed box, and for those moving from
expensive big iron down to boxes that can handle the load thanks to Moore's
Law.

While small server consolidation can be handled through SQL, languages such
as Java, C and PHP, and custom code written in RPG, it seems to me that the
majority of mainframe downsizing will require COBOL integration.  To that
end, any major incompatibilities between System i and System z COBOL is
going to be an obstacle to such movement.

Just my half a nickel.

Joe