[Info-vax] COBOL, <gack!> again! Return status.

[Brian Schenkenberger]

On 2023-09-11 19:45:56 +0000, bill said:

> On 9/11/2023 3:01 PM, Brian Schenkenberger wrote:
>> How does a COBOL program return a status (ie. R0) to a calling program? 
>> I found a reference to RETURN-CODE but compiler balks at that.
>> 
> 
> In Unix ending the program with:
> 
>      STOP RUN RETURNING {literal-1}
>                         {identifier-1}
> 
> 
> will make a return code available to the shell.
> 
> If you want a status returned to DCL I expect that would do it.
> 
> bill
> 
> {I really need to get a VMS system running here again.}

I need a COBOL sub-program to return a value to its COBOL caller.

PROGRAM-ID.		MAIN-PROGRAM.
:
:
CALL "ADVENTURE" USING MAGIC-WORDS GIVING MAGIC-SMOKE.
:
:
IF MAGIC-SMOKE = SS$_XYZZY THEN
	do something and tele-transport out of cave.
END-IF.



Sub-PROGRAM

Then, something like

PROGRAM-ID.     ADVENTURE.
:
:
PROCEDURE DIVISION USING MAGIC-WORDS RETURNING MAGIC-SMOKE TO CALLER.
-- this is correct syntax up to this point ---------------^
:
:
	MOVE SS$_XYZZY TO MAGIC-SMOKE.
         EXIT.

END PROGRAM ADVENTURE.

— VAXman