HP OpenVMS Systems

Use of At-sign within DCL commands?

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The Question is:

 
Indexed VMSmail distribution list in COBOL
 
$ MAIL/SUBJ="whatever" file-name @foo.dis
where foo.dis is an indexed, variable-length,
carriage-return-carriage-control file - this works just fine in DCL.
Putting this same command in COBOL and calling LIB$SPAWN to execute it
generates the message
"%DCL-W-SKPDAT, image data (records not beginning with "$") ignored"
When I change the distribution list to a non-indexed file, the COBOL version
works fine.
 
How can I make this indexed distribution list file work from within COBOL?
 
Thanks for any help.
 

The Answer is :

 
  The best approach here is to use the documented and supported callable
  MAIL application programming interface (API).  Not lib$spawn.  Examples
  are available for calling the MAIL API from various languages.
 
  That said, the OpenVMS Wizard suspects that the indexed file, the use
  of COBOL, and the LIB$SPAWN are all unrelated -- this error can be
  readily recreated using DCL, and involves the expected processing around
  the DCL "@" command.  When at the front of a command, "@" is assumed to
  invoke a command procedure.  When used in the middle of a command, it
  can be used to read command parameters in from a file.  (Both of these
  uses are documented.)
 
  Here is an example of triggering the error:
 
    $ create tmp.dis
    A::y
    B::y
    $ mail/subject=test nla0: @tmp.dis
    New mail on node A:: from X::wizard
    %DCL-W-SKPDAT, image data (records not beginning with "$") ignored
 
  The following DCL command procedure works as you apparently expected,
  without triggering the SKPDAT error:
 
    $ mail/subject=test nla0: "@tmp.dis"
    New mail on node A:: from X::wizard
    New mail on node B:: from X::wizard
    $
 
  Within your COBOL program, you will (obviously) want to quote the name
  of the distribution list.  (Or, preferably, migrate to the use of the
  callable MAIL API.)
 

  

     

     
answer written or last revised on ( 8-FEB-2000 )
     
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