[Info-vax] VMS Cobol filename issue

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 12/21/2023 12:24 PM, jeffrey_dsi wrote:
> On 12/21/23 06:54, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>> Even considering that in general I do not understand
>> Cobol, then this one has me puzzled.
>>
>> How does one open a file with the filename being variable?

> The only way I've seen to make the filename in Cobol a variable is to 
> use a logical.
> 
> ASSIGN TO "TEST"
> 
> and before the program is run
> 
> $ DEFINE TEST PROD_DATA:MYFILE.DAT

Thanks.

Really weird.

I ended up with:

file-control.
     select in-file assign to "INFNM" organization is line sequential.
...
working-storage section.
01 infnm pic x(5) value "INFNM".
01 cmd pic x(80).
01 cmdlen pic s9(8) comp.
01 tbl pic x(11) value "LNM$PROCESS".
...
procedure division.
main-paragraph.
     call "lib$get_foreign" using by descriptor cmd, omitted, by 
reference cmdlen
     call "lib$set_logical" using by descriptor infnm, by descriptor 
cmd(1:cmdlen), by descriptor tbl
     open input in-file

Arne