Re: CL type conversion error

[Simon Coulter <shc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Two problems. Read on:

On 16/04/2009, at 6:15 AM, John McKee wrote:

> I need a nudge here.  I wrote a stripped down program to issue a  
> single
> command in QSH.  Then, I ran it in debug mode to see the variables.   
> This does
> not make sense at this point.  First, the stripped down mimimal code:
>
> 0001.00              PGM
> 0002.00              DCL        VAR(&Msgdta) type(*char) len(4)
> 0003.00              DCL        VAR(&MSGID) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(7)
> 0004.00              DCL        VAR(&MSGTXT) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(170)
> 0005.00              DCL        VAR(&RETURNCODE) TYPE(*INT) LEN(4)
> 0006.00              DCL        VAR(&RC) TYPE(*CHAR) LEN(5)
> 0007.00
> 0008.00              QSH        CMD('ls')
> 0009.00                  MONMSG     MSGID(QSH0005) EXEC(DO)

QSH0005 is sent as a completion message. You can't monitor for that.  
You can only monitor for exception messages (*ESCAPE, *NOTIFY, and  
*STATUS). No exception occurs so the MONMSG never runs thus the  
message is not received and your variables are left with their initial  
values.

> 0010.00                      RCVMSG MSGTYPE(*COMP) RMV(*YES)  +
> 0011.00                           MSGDTA(&MSGDTA) +
> 0012.00                           MSGID(&MSGID)

Receiving any non-exception message will receive the first message of  
that type on the call stack message queue. In this case that's the  
only one you're likely to have but in a production environment you  
could have many completion messages. You can either loop using  the  
msgkey received from one message and specifying MSGTYPE(*NEXT) which  
is clumsy and usually unnecessary or you can receive the *LAST message  
knowing that it is either the expected message or an unwanted message.  
Test the message ID to be sure.

Simplest immediate modification to your code is to comment out the  
MONMSG and ENDDO. Compile and run. Magic will happen.

> 0013.00                          CHGVAR VAR(&RETURNCODE) +
> 0014.00                              VALUE(%BIN(&MSGDTA 1 4))
> 0015.00                          CHGVAR VAR(&RC) VALUE(&RETURNCODE)
> 0016.00                  ENDDO
> 0017.00              CHGVAR     VAR(&MSGTXT) VALUE('RETURN CODE IS'  
> *BCAT &RC)
> 0018.00              SNDPGMMSG  MSGID(CPF9898) MSGF(QCPFMSG)  
> MSGDTA(&MSGTXT) +
> 0019.00                           TOMSGQ(MISC003)
> 0020.00 END:
> 0021.00              DMPCLPGM
> 0022.00              ENDPGM
>
> Running in debug with breakpoint set on the DMPCLPGM command, I get  
> this:
>
> EVAL &msgdta:x
> 00000     40404040
>
> EVAL &msgid:x
> 00000     40404040 404040.. ........ ....
>
> EVAL &msgtxt:x
>   00000     D9C5E3E4 D9D540C3 D6C4C540 C9E24040   - RETURN CODE IS
>   00010     40404040 40404040 40404040 40404040   -
>
> I am left wondering if something is removing the message, thus  
> preventing this
> little program from seeing it.

No, you're simply not receiving it (which would be apparent if you  
stepped through the code in debug).

> I have not done debug on a batch job in a long
> time.  So, I was doing this interactively.

Doesn't matter. Same effect will occur.

> If I type the QSH command on a
> command line, I do see the QSH0005 message on the bottom of the  
> screen.  But,
> it does not seem to be here in this program.

Because you're not receiving it.

Regards,
Simon Coulter.
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