Rational Developer for System z, Version 7.6

Describing the program resources and linkage data

The operation of a program contains input and output parameters based on classes defined in the model. These parameters are appropriate to identify the external data manipulated by the program. The COBOL profile creates a resource stereotype to identify resources manipulated by a program, such as a file, a message queue, or a relational table. In order to define a resource, you need to create a dedicated resource class that references a root Data Object to define the data of the resource.
The relationship between the Resource class and the DataObject class shows that the Resource class's contents is defined by the Data Object. This relationship is captured by a Stereotype. After the Resource class is defined and connected to the appropriate DataObject, the input and output parameters can target this resource class instead of the DataObject class. You can define the model to manipulate resources through a parameter which type is a Resource stereotyped class. You can define the model to manipulate linkage data through a parameter which type is a DataObject stereotyped class. To set a program to manipulate the resource, complete the following steps:
  1. Create a resource class that reference the DataObject that will be manipulated by the resource.
  2. Reference the DataObject from the resource.
  3. Apply the ResourceIsStructured stereotype to the relationship.
  4. Change the operation parameter so that its type targets the Resource class and not the DataObject class. If an operation has a parameter whose type is directly on DataObject, the generation assumes that it is a data definition to be used in the linkage section.
In order to automate this process, a Rational® Software Architect pattern is provided that does these steps automatically. To enhance the diagram, complete the following steps:
  1. From the Workbench, click Window > Show View > Other, and then select the Pattern Explorer view. The Pattern Explorer view opens.
  2. Select the COBOL program pattern under UML to COBOL.
  3. From the Pattern Explorer view, drag the COBOL program to the diagram.
Under Modeling, Pattern Explorer is selected.
UML to COBOL is selected.
The first parameter of the pattern is the operation that you want to process. Drag the operation of the COBOL_Programs class that you want to transform into a program. The pattern now automatically performs changes against the parameters of the operation. All its parameters are modified and resources are created. You can then specify which Data Object you want to use in this program as linkage section in the second parameter. The changes are directly visible on the operation parameters. To see the newly created Resources in your diagram, drag the resource classes from the Project Explorer to the diagram.
An ORDER data object is connected to a CUSTOMER data object. The pattern instance is CobolProgram, and the COBOL program is ORDERSERVICES.
Resource descriptions ORDERTOPROCESS and CUSTOMERFROMORDER connected to the ORDER and CUSTOMER data objects are added to the previous figure.
Note: It is a good practice to create several diagrams that can display subsets of your models; for example, a separate diagram dedicated to the program, one to its resources, and one to the root definition.

There is also a File stereotype available that you can apply in addition to the ResourceisStructured stereotype to further define the resource as a File. The attributes of the stereotype can help define the type of file (VSAM Sequential, Indexed) which further customizes the COBOL source code generated by the later transformations.


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