B.4 Interfacing with COBOL
1
{interface to COBOL}
{COBOL interface}
The facilities relevant to interfacing with the COBOL
language are the package Interfaces.COBOL and support for the Import,
Export and Convention pragmas with
convention_
identifier
COBOL.
2
The COBOL interface
package supplies several sets of facilities:
3
- A set of types corresponding to the
native COBOL types of the supported COBOL implementation (so-called “internal
COBOL representations”), allowing Ada data to be passed as parameters
to COBOL programs
4
- A set of types and constants reflecting
external data representations such as might be found in files or databases,
allowing COBOL-generated data to be read by an Ada program, and Ada-generated
data to be read by COBOL programs
5
- A generic package for converting between
an Ada decimal type value and either an internal or external COBOL representation
Static Semantics
6
The library package
Interfaces.COBOL has the following declaration:
7
package Interfaces.COBOL
is
pragma Preelaborate(COBOL);
8
-- Types and operations for internal data representations
9
type Floating
is digits implementation-defined;
type Long_Floating
is digits implementation-defined;
10
type Binary
is range implementation-defined;
type Long_Binary
is range implementation-defined;
11
Max_Digits_Binary :
constant :=
implementation-defined;
Max_Digits_Long_Binary :
constant :=
implementation-defined;
12
type Decimal_Element
is mod implementation-defined;
type Packed_Decimal
is array (Positive
range <>)
of Decimal_Element;
pragma Pack(Packed_Decimal);
13
type COBOL_Character
is implementation-defined character type;
14
Ada_To_COBOL :
array (Character)
of COBOL_Character :=
implementation-defined;
15
COBOL_To_Ada :
array (COBOL_Character)
of Character :=
implementation-defined;
16
type Alphanumeric
is array (Positive range <>)
of COBOL_Character;
pragma Pack(Alphanumeric);
17
function To_COBOL (Item :
in String)
return Alphanumeric;
function To_Ada (Item :
in Alphanumeric)
return String;
18
procedure To_COBOL (Item :
in String;
Target :
out Alphanumeric;
Last :
out Natural);
19
procedure To_Ada (Item :
in Alphanumeric;
Target :
out String;
Last :
out Natural);
20
type Numeric
is array (Positive
range <>)
of COBOL_Character;
pragma Pack(Numeric);
21
-- Formats for COBOL data representations
22
type Display_Format
is private;
23
Unsigned :
constant Display_Format;
Leading_Separate :
constant Display_Format;
Trailing_Separate :
constant Display_Format;
Leading_Nonseparate :
constant Display_Format;
Trailing_Nonseparate :
constant Display_Format;
24
type Binary_Format
is private;
25
High_Order_First :
constant Binary_Format;
Low_Order_First :
constant Binary_Format;
Native_Binary :
constant Binary_Format;
26
type Packed_Format
is private;
27
Packed_Unsigned :
constant Packed_Format;
Packed_Signed :
constant Packed_Format;
28
-- Types for external representation of COBOL binary data
29
type Byte
is mod 2**COBOL_Character'Size;
type Byte_Array
is array (Positive
range <>)
of Byte;
pragma Pack (Byte_Array);
30
Conversion_Error :
exception;
31
generic
type Num
is delta <>
digits <>;
package Decimal_Conversions
is
32
-- Display Formats: data values are represented as Numeric
33
function Valid (Item :
in Numeric;
Format :
in Display_Format)
return Boolean;
34
function Length (Format :
in Display_Format)
return Natural;
35
function To_Decimal (Item :
in Numeric;
Format :
in Display_Format)
return Num;
36
function To_Display (Item :
in Num;
Format :
in Display_Format)
return Numeric;
37
-- Packed Formats: data values are represented as Packed_Decimal
38
function Valid (Item :
in Packed_Decimal;
Format :
in Packed_Format)
return Boolean;
39
function Length (Format :
in Packed_Format)
return Natural;
40
function To_Decimal (Item :
in Packed_Decimal;
Format :
in Packed_Format)
return Num;
41
function To_Packed (Item :
in Num;
Format :
in Packed_Format)
return Packed_Decimal;
42
-- Binary Formats: external data values are represented as Byte_Array
43
function Valid (Item :
in Byte_Array;
Format :
in Binary_Format)
return Boolean;
44
function Length (Format :
in Binary_Format)
return Natural;
function To_Decimal (Item :
in Byte_Array;
Format :
in Binary_Format)
return Num;
45
function To_Binary (Item :
in Num;
Format :
in Binary_Format)
return Byte_Array;
46
-- Internal Binary formats: data values are of type Binary or Long_Binary
47
function To_Decimal (Item :
in Binary)
return Num;
function To_Decimal (Item :
in Long_Binary)
return Num;
48
function To_Binary (Item :
in Num)
return Binary;
function To_Long_Binary (Item :
in Num)
return Long_Binary;
49
end Decimal_Conversions;
50
private
... -- not specified by the language
end Interfaces.COBOL;
50.a/1
Implementation defined: The types Floating,
Long_Floating, Binary, Long_Binary, Decimal_Element, and COBOL_Character;
and the initializations of the variables Ada_To_COBOL and COBOL_To_Ada,
in Interfaces.COBOL.
51
Each of the types in Interfaces.COBOL is COBOL-compatible.
52
The types Floating and Long_Floating correspond to
the native types in COBOL for data items with computational usage implemented
by floating point. The types Binary and Long_Binary correspond to the
native types in COBOL for data items with binary usage, or with computational
usage implemented by binary.
53
Max_Digits_Binary is the largest number of decimal
digits in a numeric value that is represented as Binary. Max_Digits_Long_Binary
is the largest number of decimal digits in a numeric value that is represented
as Long_Binary.
54
The type Packed_Decimal corresponds to COBOL's packed-decimal
usage.
55
The type COBOL_Character defines the run-time character
set used in the COBOL implementation. Ada_To_COBOL and COBOL_To_Ada are
the mappings between the Ada and COBOL run-time character sets.
55.a
Reason: The character mappings are visible
variables, since the user needs the ability to modify them at run time.
56
Type Alphanumeric corresponds to COBOL's alphanumeric
data category.
57
Each of the functions To_COBOL and To_Ada converts
its parameter based on the mappings Ada_To_COBOL and COBOL_To_Ada, respectively.
The length of the result for each is the length of the parameter, and
the lower bound of the result is 1. Each component of the result is obtained
by applying the relevant mapping to the corresponding component of the
parameter.
58
Each of the procedures To_COBOL and To_Ada copies
converted elements from Item to Target, using the appropriate mapping
(Ada_To_COBOL or COBOL_To_Ada, respectively). The index in Target of
the last element assigned is returned in Last (0 if Item is a null array).
{Constraint_Error (raised by failure
of run-time check)} If Item'Length exceeds
Target'Length, Constraint_Error is propagated.
59
Type Numeric corresponds to COBOL's numeric data
category with display usage.
60
The types Display_Format,
Binary_Format, and Packed_Format are used in conversions between Ada
decimal type values and COBOL internal or external data representations.
The value of the constant Native_Binary is either High_Order_First or
Low_Order_First, depending on the implementation.
61
function Valid (Item : in Numeric;
Format : in Display_Format) return Boolean;
62
The function
Valid checks that the Item parameter has a value consistent with the
value of Format. If the value of Format is other than Unsigned, Leading_Separate,
and Trailing_Separate, the effect is implementation defined. If Format
does have one of these values, the following rules apply:
63/1
- {8652/0066}
{AI95-00071-01}
Format=Unsigned: if Item comprises zero or more
leading space characters followed by one or more decimal digit
characters then Valid returns True, else it returns False.
64/1
- {8652/0066}
{AI95-00071-01}
Format=Leading_Separate: if Item comprises zero
or more leading space characters, followed by a single occurrence
of the plus or minus sign character, and then one or more decimal digit
characters, then Valid returns True, else it returns False.
65/1
- {8652/0066}
{AI95-00071-01}
Format=Trailing_Separate: if Item comprises zero
or more leading space characters, followed by one or more decimal
digit characters and finally a plus or minus sign character, then Valid
returns True, else it returns False.
66
function Length (Format : in Display_Format) return Natural;
67
The Length function
returns the minimal length of a Numeric value sufficient to hold any
value of type Num when represented as Format.
68
function To_Decimal (Item : in Numeric;
Format : in Display_Format) return Num;
69
Produces a value
of type Num corresponding to Item as represented by Format. The number
of digits after the assumed radix point in Item is Num'Scale. Conversion_Error
is propagated if the value represented by Item is outside the range of
Num.
69.a
Discussion: There is no issue of truncation
versus rounding, since the number of decimal places is established by
Num'Scale.
70
function To_Display (Item : in Num;
Format : in Display_Format) return Numeric;
71/1
{
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This function returns the Numeric value for Item, represented in accordance
with Format.
The length of the returned value is
Length(Format), and the lower bound is 1. Conversion_Error is
propagated if Num is negative and Format is Unsigned.
72
function Valid (Item : in Packed_Decimal;
Format : in Packed_Format) return Boolean;
73
This function
returns True if Item has a value consistent with Format, and False otherwise.
The rules for the formation of Packed_Decimal values are implementation
defined.
74
function Length (Format : in Packed_Format) return Natural;
75
This function
returns the minimal length of a Packed_Decimal value sufficient to hold
any value of type Num when represented as Format.
76
function To_Decimal (Item : in Packed_Decimal;
Format : in Packed_Format) return Num;
77
Produces a value
of type Num corresponding to Item as represented by Format. Num'Scale
is the number of digits after the assumed radix point in Item. Conversion_Error
is propagated if the value represented by Item is outside the range of
Num.
78
function To_Packed (Item : in Num;
Format : in Packed_Format) return Packed_Decimal;
79/1
{
8652/0067}
{
AI95-00072-01}
This function returns the Packed_Decimal value for Item, represented
in accordance with Format.
The length of the returned
value is Length(Format), and the lower bound is 1. Conversion_Error
is propagated if Num is negative and Format is Packed_Unsigned.
80
function Valid (Item : in Byte_Array;
Format : in Binary_Format) return Boolean;
81
This function
returns True if Item has a value consistent with Format, and False otherwise.
81.a
Ramification: This function returns False
only when the represented value is outside the range of Num.
82
function Length (Format : in Binary_Format) return Natural;
83
This function
returns the minimal length of a Byte_Array value sufficient to hold any
value of type Num when represented as Format.
84
function To_Decimal (Item : in Byte_Array;
Format : in Binary_Format) return Num;
85
Produces a value
of type Num corresponding to Item as represented by Format. Num'Scale
is the number of digits after the assumed radix point in Item. Conversion_Error
is propagated if the value represented by Item is outside the range of
Num.
86
function To_Binary (Item : in Num;
Format : in Binary_Format) return Byte_Array;
87/1
{
8652/0067}
{
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This function returns the Byte_Array value for Item, represented in accordance
with Format.
The length of the returned value is
Length(Format), and the lower bound is 1.88
function To_Decimal (Item : in Binary) return Num;
function To_Decimal (Item : in Long_Binary) return Num;
89
These functions
convert from COBOL binary format to a corresponding value of the decimal
type Num. Conversion_Error is propagated if Item is too large for Num.
89.a
Ramification: There is no rescaling performed
on the conversion. That is, the returned value in each case is a “bit
copy” if Num has a binary radix. The programmer is responsible
for maintaining the correct scale.
90
function To_Binary (Item : in Num) return Binary;
function To_Long_Binary (Item : in Num) return Long_Binary;
91
These functions convert from Ada decimal to
COBOL binary format. Conversion_Error is propagated if the value of Item
is too large to be represented in the result type.
91.a
Discussion: One style of interface supported
for COBOL, similar to what is provided for C, is the ability to call
and pass parameters to an existing COBOL program. Thus the interface
package supplies types that can be used in an Ada program as parameters
to subprograms whose bodies will be in COBOL. These types map to COBOL's
alphanumeric and numeric data categories.
91.b
Several types are provided for support of alphanumeric
data. Since COBOL's run-time character set is not necessarily the same
as Ada's, Interfaces.COBOL declares an implementation-defined character
type COBOL_Character, and mappings between Character and COBOL_Character.
These mappings are visible variables (rather than, say, functions or
constant arrays), since in the situation where COBOL_Character is EBCDIC,
the flexibility of dynamically modifying the mappings is needed. Corresponding
to COBOL's alphanumeric data is the string type Alphanumeric.
91.c
Numeric data may have either a “display”
or “computational” representation in COBOL. On the Ada side,
the data is of a decimal fixed point type. Passing an Ada decimal data
item to a COBOL program requires conversion from the Ada decimal type
to some type that reflects the representation expected on the COBOL side.
91.d
- Computational Representation
91.e
Floating point representation is modeled by
Ada floating point types, Floating and Long_Floating. Conversion between
these types and Ada decimal types is obtained directly, since the type
name serves as a conversion function.
91.f
Binary representation is modeled by an Ada
integer type, Binary, and possibly other types such as Long_Binary. Conversion
between, say, Binary and a decimal type is through functions from an
instantiation of the generic package Decimal_Conversions.
91.g
Packed decimal representation is modeled by
the Ada array type Packed_Decimal. Conversion between packed decimal
and a decimal type is through functions from an instantiation of the
generic package Decimal_Conversions.
91.h
91.i
Display representation for numeric data is
modeled by the array type Numeric. Conversion between display representation
and a decimal type is through functions from an instantiation of the
generic package Decimal_Conversions. A parameter to the conversion function
indicates the desired interpretation of the data (e.g., signed leading
separate, etc.)
91.j
Pragma Convention(COBOL, T) may be applied to
a record type T to direct the compiler to choose a COBOL-compatible representation
for objects of the type.
91.k
The package Interfaces.COBOL allows the Ada
programmer to deal with data from files (or databases) created by a COBOL
program. For data that is alphanumeric, or in display or packed decimal
format, the approach is the same as for passing parameters (instantiate
Decimal_Conversions to obtain the needed conversion functions). For binary
data, the external representation is treated as a Byte array, and an
instantiation of Decimal_IO produces a package that declares the needed
conversion functions. A parameter to the conversion function indicates
the desired interpretation of the data (e.g., high- versus low-order
byte first).
Implementation Requirements
92
An implementation shall support pragma Convention
with a COBOL
convention_
identifier
for a COBOL-eligible type (see
B.1).
92.a
Ramification: An implementation supporting
this package shall ensure that if the bounds of a Packed_Decimal, Alphanumeric,
or Numeric variable are static, then the representation of the object
comprises solely the array components (that is, there is no implicit
run-time “descriptor” that is part of the object).
Implementation Permissions
93
An implementation may provide additional constants
of the private types Display_Format, Binary_Format, or Packed_Format.
93.a
Reason: This is to allow exploitation
of other external formats that may be available in the COBOL implementation.
94
An implementation may provide further floating point
and integer types in Interfaces.COBOL to match additional native COBOL
types, and may also supply corresponding conversion functions in the
generic package Decimal_Conversions.
Implementation Advice
95
An Ada implementation should support the following
interface correspondences between Ada and COBOL.
96
- An Ada access T parameter is
passed as a “BY REFERENCE” data item of the COBOL type corresponding
to T.
97
- An Ada in scalar parameter
is passed as a “BY CONTENT” data item of the corresponding
COBOL type.
98
- Any other Ada parameter is passed
as a “BY REFERENCE” data item of the COBOL type corresponding
to the Ada parameter type; for scalars, a local copy is used if necessary
to ensure by-copy semantics.
98.a/2
Implementation Advice:
If COBOL interfacing is supported, the
interface correspondences between Ada and COBOL should be supported.
99
16 An implementation is not required to
support pragma Convention for access types, nor is it required to support
pragma Import, Export or Convention for functions.
99.a
Reason: COBOL does not have a pointer
facility, and a COBOL program does not return a value.
100
17 If an Ada subprogram is exported to
COBOL, then a call from COBOL call may specify either “BY CONTENT”
or “BY REFERENCE”.
Examples
101
Examples of Interfaces.COBOL:
102
with Interfaces.COBOL;
procedure Test_Call is
103
-- Calling a foreign COBOL program
-- Assume that a COBOL program PROG has the following declaration
-- in its LINKAGE section:
-- 01 Parameter-Area
-- 05 NAME PIC X(20).
-- 05 SSN PIC X(9).
-- 05 SALARY PIC 99999V99 USAGE COMP.
-- The effect of PROG is to update SALARY based on some algorithm
104
package COBOL renames Interfaces.COBOL;
105
type Salary_Type is delta 0.01 digits 7;
106
type COBOL_Record is
record
Name : COBOL.Numeric(1..20);
SSN : COBOL.Numeric(1..9);
Salary : COBOL.Binary; -- Assume Binary = 32 bits
end record;
pragma Convention (COBOL, COBOL_Record);
107
procedure Prog (Item : in out COBOL_Record);
pragma Import (COBOL, Prog, "PROG");
108
package Salary_Conversions is
new COBOL.Decimal_Conversions(Salary_Type);
109
Some_Salary : Salary_Type := 12_345.67;
Some_Record : COBOL_Record :=
(Name => "Johnson, John ",
SSN => "111223333",
Salary => Salary_Conversions.To_Binary(Some_Salary));
110
begin
Prog (Some_Record);
...
end Test_Call;
111
with Interfaces.COBOL;
with COBOL_Sequential_IO; -- Assumed to be supplied by implementation
procedure Test_External_Formats is
112
-- Using data created by a COBOL program
-- Assume that a COBOL program has created a sequential file with
-- the following record structure, and that we need to
-- process the records in an Ada program
-- 01 EMPLOYEE-RECORD
-- 05 NAME PIC X(20).
-- 05 SSN PIC X(9).
-- 05 SALARY PIC 99999V99 USAGE COMP.
-- 05 ADJUST PIC S999V999 SIGN LEADING SEPARATE.
-- The COMP data is binary (32 bits), high-order byte first
113
package COBOL renames Interfaces.COBOL;
114
type Salary_Type is delta 0.01 digits 7;
type Adjustments_Type is delta 0.001 digits 6;
115
type COBOL_Employee_Record_Type is -- External representation
record
Name : COBOL.Alphanumeric(1..20);
SSN : COBOL.Alphanumeric(1..9);
Salary : COBOL.Byte_Array(1..4);
Adjust : COBOL.Numeric(1..7); -- Sign and 6 digits
end record;
pragma Convention (COBOL, COBOL_Employee_Record_Type);
116
package COBOL_Employee_IO is
new COBOL_Sequential_IO(COBOL_Employee_Record_Type);
use COBOL_Employee_IO;
117
COBOL_File : File_Type;
118
type Ada_Employee_Record_Type is -- Internal representation
record
Name : String(1..20);
SSN : String(1..9);
Salary : Salary_Type;
Adjust : Adjustments_Type;
end record;
119
COBOL_Record : COBOL_Employee_Record_Type;
Ada_Record : Ada_Employee_Record_Type;
120
package Salary_Conversions is
new COBOL.Decimal_Conversions(Salary_Type);
use Salary_Conversions;
121
package Adjustments_Conversions is
new COBOL.Decimal_Conversions(Adjustments_Type);
use Adjustments_Conversions;
122
begin
Open (COBOL_File, Name => "Some_File");
123
loop
Read (COBOL_File, COBOL_Record);
124
Ada_Record.Name := To_Ada(COBOL_Record.Name);
Ada_Record.SSN := To_Ada(COBOL_Record.SSN);
Ada_Record.Salary :=
To_Decimal(COBOL_Record.Salary, COBOL.High_Order_First);
Ada_Record.Adjust :=
To_Decimal(COBOL_Record.Adjust, COBOL.Leading_Separate);
... -- Process Ada_Record
end loop;
exception
when End_Error => ...
end Test_External_Formats;
Wording Changes from Ada 95
124.a/2
124.b/2
{
8652/0067}
{
AI95-00072-01}
Corrigendum: Specified the bounds of the
results of To_Display, To_Packed, and To_Binary.
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