Customizing for processing COBOL copybooks

To use the view, edit, copy, print, or data create functions with a COBOL copybook, you need to make a COBOL compiler available to Z Data Tools.

This functionality requires ADATA, therefore the COBOL compiler must have the ADATA capability. COBOL compilers such as VS COBOL II, and OS/COBOL, which do not support ADATA, cannot be used. All currently supported versions of IBM® Enterprise COBOL for z/OS® and OS/390® provide this support, and can therefore be used.

Z Data Tools also provides an internal version of the COBOL compiler, for use in preference to a supported COBOL compiler, or when a supported COBOL compiler is not available, (for example, if you are using Z Data Tools in a production environment, where the COBOL compiler is not used). This compiler is installed into HFM.SHFMMOD1, if you installed Z Data Tools into the default libraries, with load modules named HFM9xxxx. (The Z Data Tools COBOL compiler is a reduced-function compiler and cannot be used to generate executable COBOL programs.)

Z Data Tools will use its own COBOL compiler when a supported COBOL compiler cannot be accessed, or when it encounters this DD statement for HFMCOB:

//HFMCOB DD DUMMY

Normally, if a supported COBOL compiler is found, this will be used. If a supported COBOL compiler cannot be found then the Z Data Tools COBOL compiler will be used.

However, on occasions, even if a supported COBOL compiler is available, you may want to use the Z Data Tools COBOL compiler, for example, if you are asked to do so by HCL support.

For information about using a supported COBOL compiler, see Using a supported COBOL compiler. For more information about using the Z Data Tools internal COBOL compiler, see Using the Z Data Tools COBOL compiler.

Use the SHOWCOB command to check whether Z Data Tools is using its internal COBOL compiler or another compiler.

In batch, submit a Z Data Tools batch job with this control statement:
```
$$FILEM SHOWCOB
```
If a licensed, supported COBOL compiler is available to Z Data Tools, the job output will show:
```
HFM0024I The Customer Licensed COBOL Compiler will be used.
```
If Z Data Tools is using its own COBOL compiler, the job output will show:
```
HFM0023I The Z Data Tools supplied COBOL Compiler will be used
```
Under ISPF, enter SHOWCOB on any Z Data Tools command line. If a licensed, supported COBOL compiler is available to Z Data Tools, this message is displayed: Using Licensed COBOL. If Z Data Tools is using its own COBOL compiler, this message is displayed: Using ZDT COBOL Compiler

Note that your COBOL compiler must be both licensed and supported. If you are using a licensed, non-supported compiler (for example, a licensed version of VS COBOL II), the message will still be: Using Licensed COBOL but any attempt to compile copybooks will fail.