HP 3000 Manuals HP 3000 Manuals
Format of Messages
Messages are displayed in the following format:
COBOL-code
**nnnn-A**** (mmmm)**
**message-text
where
nnnn is the message number
mmmm is the page on which the previous message occurred.
A is a one-letter identifier that shows the severity of the
message as follows:
U Unrecoverable. An unrecoverable fault causes your COBOL
system to stop. A message of this severity is actually
produced by the run-time system, and you should refer to
the chapter Run-Time System Messages later in this manual
for details of such messages.
S Severe. When a severe fault is encountered, intermediate
code is not produced for the statement in error.
Consequently, you cannot use this intermediate code to
generate native code, and you will not be able to run
code containing severe faults. You can, however, use the
Animator software on intermediate code containing severe
faults if you set the E switch on. See your COBOL System
Reference for details. If you use either of these
methods to execute the intermediate code produced,
results are unpredictable.
Following an S-level error, the source code between the
word that caused the error and the next recognizable verb
or the beginning of the next sentence is ignored.
Consequently, when you correct the original error and
resubmit your program, more errors may be found.
E Error. Whenever an error fault occurs in your source
code, your COBOL system attempts to correct the error and
continues to check the syntax and produce intermediate
code. Your COBOL system makes assumptions about what was
intended, and if this varies from your expectations, then
you should correct the source code that is in error. In
any case, you may wish to correct the source code so that
you can produce intermediate code with no errors.
You can animate intermediate code that contains errors,
and you can also produce generated code from it, or run
it, if you set the E switch on. See your COBOL System
Reference for details.
W Warning. A warning indicates that there may be an error
or inconsistency in the source code; the statement might,
however, be syntactically correct.
You can animate intermediate code that contains warnings,
and you can also produce generated code from it, or run
it.
I Information. An information message draws your attention
to something in the source code of which you may need to
be aware. This kind of message does not imply there is a
fault, nor are you required to take any action.
You can animate intermediate code that contains
information messages, and you can also produce generated
code from it, or run it.
The same message can appear with a different severity in different
circumstances.
Note that error, warning, and information messages may or may not be
produced by your COBOL system, depending on the setting of the WARNING
directive. Refer to your COBOL System Reference for details.
Many of the severe faults and errors have a cumulative effect. Thus if a
fault is reported at an early stage in your coding it will probably have
a 'knock on' effect and produce a series of messages as your COBOL system
goes through the rest of your code. Often a simple mistake (such as
failing to put a period at an expected place) will cause a series of
messages to be given, all of which originate from the initial fault. In
cases such as this you will often find that one very simple amendment to
your code (such as inserting a period), could be all that is needed to
recover from a run of severe faults and errors.