The base functionality of the Rational Developer for System z error feedback mechanism supports error feedback for COBOL and PL/I language source files. Errors that result from a remote build or a remote syntax check of a COBOL or PL/I program are reported to the Remote Error List. The error feedback process depends on an XML file created during COBOL or PL/I compilation using the Enterprise version(s) of the COBOL or PL/I compilers. This base functionality supports error feedback with the Enterprise versions of COBOL and PL/I as they support the integrated DB2 coprocessor and CICS translator, thus allowing the errors from the coprocessor or translator to be fed back with the correct line numbers. This function is provided without any setup or user action required.
This error feedback mechanism is extensible: with some setup on the client workspace, it can be extended to also provide error feedback from custom preprocessors and from other language source files, such as Assembler. Rational Developer for System z defines an XML schema that you can use to create an XML file to report errors from custom preprocessors or other languages in the Remote Error List. The topics in this section describe how to create and use this XML file.
Error feedback for COBOL and PL/I depends on an XML file generated during the compilation or syntax check process on the remote system. The COBOL and PL/I compiler processes write the errors to any data set member or sequential data set referred to by the SYSXMLSD DD card in the JCL being used for compilation or syntax check.
Rational Developer for System z generates JCL to execute the JCL procedures specified by the user in the properties and submits the generated JCL on behalf of the user for remote compilation and remote syntax check. During JCL generation Rational Developer for System z allocates a sequential data set based on the Data Set Qualifier for Compile Errors field of the COBOL or PL/I Compile Step Options window and refers to it using the SYSXMLSD DD card to establish the handshake between the COBOL or PL/I compiler processes on the remote system and Rational Developer for System z compilation and syntax check operations. Because Rational Developer for System z allocates this data set, it also keeps track of it, locates it when the compilation or syntax check operation is complete, parses it, and populates the remote error list.
The same scheme used for error feedback for COBOL and PL/I can be used to extend the error feedback scheme to support other languages and custom preprocessors. The error feedback extensibility scheme works only when using the Rational Developer for System z build process. The Related Tasks describe how to set up the Rational Developer for System z client to take advantage of the extensible error feedback mechanism.