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From: don on 16 Sep 2009 07:17
z390 and zcobol full release v1.5.01 is now available for download via
www.z390.org. Note the download links point to www.z390.org for now
as the sourceforge.net site was unavailable for uploading all the
files. For details on fixes and enhancements in this release visit:

http://www.z390.org/z390_Download_Archive.htm

Both z390 and zcobol are included in the z390 download and install for
Windows and Linux. For z390 documentation on how to assemble, link,
and execute HLASM compatible assembler programs visit www.z390.org.
For zcobol documentation on how to compile, link, and execute COBOL
programs visit www.zcobol.org. The only requirement for this open
source software is J2SE 6.0+. This full release v1.5.01 has been
regression tested on J2SE 1.6.0 update 16 and has been tested with
Windows Vista and XP. Interactive debugging of the Java source was
done using Eclipse 3.5/ Updated demo and regression test programs are
included in this release.

The major enhancements in this release include:

1. The open source zcobol compiler now assembles 408 of the NIST
COBOL 1985 test suite programs with no hard assembler errors and just
level 8 MNOTE messages for those functions not yet fully supported.
zcobol now supports all 9 floating point types plus up to 39 digit
integers using quad word data type in COMPUTE, MOVE, DISPLAY, and
other arithmetic verbs. zcobol also includes 3 demo programs and 28
regression test programs which can all be compiled and executed.
2. zCICS version 8 contributed by Melvyn Maltz with additional
COBOL and assembler EXEC CICS support plus reformatted PDF
documentation format contributed by Walter Petras:
a. EXEC CICS ASSIGN
b. EXEC CICS INQUIRE FILE
c. Enhancements to CEMT I FILE, cursor select filename for an
expanded display
d. This release includes 13 COBOL transactions you can compile
and execute
3. New CODEPAGE option has been added to support ASCII and EBCDIC
Unicode Charset codepages. The option has 3 parameters separated by +
including name of ascii codepage, name of EBCDIC code page, and list
option. The default value is CODEPAGE(ISO-8859-1+IBM1047) which is
compatible with z/OS. If the third +LIST option is added, a map of
the 2 selected codepages, a dump of the resulting ASCII/EBCDIC
translation tables, and a list of the 64 valid ASCII and 15 valid
EBCDIC Charset codepages available out of the over 162 total Charset
codepages available on J2SE. To suppress the CODEPAGE option and
revert to prior z390 hardcoded ASCII/EBCDIC tables, use NOCODEPAGE
option.
4. Add ZPAR structured conditional macro assembler based
utilities documented on www.zpar.org:
a. ZPARGEN – generate batch execution commands for one or more
programs
b. ZPARERR – summarize the ERR logs for one or more programs.
c. ZPARMLC – frequency distribution of opcodes for one or more
MLC or BAL source files.
d. ZPARSUM1 – summarize ERR log braking on first 2 characters of
program name.
e. ZPARSUM2 – summarize translation, assembly, and execution of
NIST test programs by ID.
f. ZPARTRS – trace execution showing source assembler lines with
data labels etc. This can now be used to trace source code execution
of server using zpar\ZPARTRS cics\Z390CICS and to trace local clients
using zpar\ZPARTRS cics\Z390KCP (requires turning on client trace and
renaming local terminal tre file to Z390KCP.TRE)
g. FIXCRLF – utility to add CR, LF to source (some editors don’t
require CR)
5. New open source barcode utility in linklib\barcode contributed
by Roger Williams with ABA (www.accessaba.com).
6. Linklib\FPCONVRT.MAC mainframe compatible floating point
conversion routines contributed by David Bond with Tachyon
(www.tachyonsoft.com) updated to use DFP instructions at ARCHLVL 6.
7. Upgrade to both the az390 assembler and zcobol to support EXEC
CICS to support a total of 30 DFHRESP and 25 DFHVALUE literals. Also
add option EDF for use by zCICS.
8. Issue error message for explicit DROP when the register is not
currently assigned.
9. Issue az390 warning when identical overlapping ordinary USING
ranges result in selecting higher register.
10. Add EXEC and LIST macro forms for OPEN, CLOSE, and SNAP macro.
11. Add support for instructions PFPO, ECTG, and CSST.
12. Add limited access register support including CPYA, EAR, and SAR
instructions.
13. Add support for ESTA option 2 PSW.
14. Add AINSERT support.
15. Improve literal error handling to clearly identify first source
line reference.

The major fixes in this release include:

1. Only resolve V(con) to A(con) if local symbol is a CSECT,
otherwise local symbol is unrelated to external symbol by the same
name.
2. Reset linker RLD count after each NAME command in LKD command
file to prevent erroneous RLD’s being added to following load modules.
3. Correct some 64 bit shift and floating point conversion
instruction bugs found during debugging of new zcobol support for all
9 floating point types (see RPI 1015 for specifics).
4. Correct GUAM TN3270 support to return all protected fields
with the modified data bit set on.
5. Correct KSDS POINT error on single record file.
6. Correct error handling for ZSTRMAC structured conditional
macro code to detect and report missing label errors.
7. Correct mz390 to report error 11 invalid continuation on ERR
log. Previously the error only appeared on BAL file plus error
totals.
8. Correct error checking for SS type instruction with explicit
offset(length,register) where length is greater than 256 previously
resulting in object code generation error caught by linker.
9. Correct OPEN and CLOSE macros to only assume register notation
if operand is in (..).
10. Correct MODCB to use OI/NI versus MVI and support AREALLEN.
11. Correct ABEND dump processing to prevent multiple threads from
interlacing dumps.
12. Correct mz390 macro processor to trap any exceptions, report
error, and close all files.
13. Patch for Linux to support the batch command J2SEOPTIONS
parameter.

For the current pending fixes and enhancements visit:

http://www.z390.org/z390_Support_Request_Log.htm

For documentation on all z390 options including new ALIGN and
CODEPAGE, see:

http://www.z390.org/z390_Options.htm

There is a known outstanding priority 1 issues with this release to be
include in first PTF. RPI 1083 will correct AINSERT issue with
complex application using nested macros and AINSERT copy statements
not tested with current rt\test\TESTAIN1.MLC and rt\test\TESTAOMS2.MLC
regression tests.

Many thanks to developers Melvyn Maltz, David Bond, Roger Williams,
Abe Kornelis and all the users who have contributed to this release.
The next release of zcobol will have additional functionality
including QSAM and VSAM file I/O in addition to the current LINE
SEQENTIAL (see zcobol\demo\COPYFILE.CBL) support. Note this COBOL
file support is already available in EXEC CICS COBOL programs.

All feedback, suggestions, and requests for additional enhancements
and fixes are always welcome.

Don Higgins
Don(a)Higgins.net
www.Don-Higgins.net
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