Understanding the COBOL Unicode Conversion Utility for z/OS

As delivered by PeopleSoft, all COBOL programs are written to run on non-Unicode databases. To run the PeopleSoft-delivered COBOL on z/OS against a Unicode database, you must use the PeopleTools COBOL conversion utility for z/OS.

This utility is typically called automatically by the PeopleSoft server transfer process; however in certain circumstances, such as when you adapt COBOL code or apply a PeopleSoft-provided patch to a COBOL program, you may need to run the utility manually.

All internal data definitions for character-type data in COBOL programs, including data field groups and literals, must have usage NATIONAL instead of usage DISPLAY. The conversion utility changes the usage of the applicable data fields and also makes related changes in procedure division of the COBOL program source.

Adapt and apply patches to only one set of COBOL source code—non-Unicode source. It is much easier to write COBOL programs without having to remember to use national data items as you go. Once your adaptation or patch is complete and you are ready to compile the program, first run it through the COBOL Unicode conversion utility, then compile it. This approach has several benefits over customizing the converted code:

• You maintain a single source tree for all of your COBOL—the non-Unicode source.

  This way you don’t run the risk of accidentally adapting both the non-Unicode COBOL programs and the Unicode-converted COBOL programs and potentially losing the modifications to the converted programs the next time you run the converter.

• Although PeopleSoft tests all delivered COBOL programs and patches in both Unicode and non-Unicode environments, only non-Unicode versions of the source are delivered.

  Therefore, any time you apply a PeopleSoft COBOL patch to a Unicode system, you must run the patched source code through the COBOL converter. If you had already modified the post-converted source, converting again would obliterate your modifications.

Under very limited conditions, you may still need to customize your COBOL source code after the conversion and maintain the Unicode version of the source. In this case, you may need to manually apply patch delivered by PeopleSoft to your source code.