January 2004
What's new at Micro Focus?
An invitation to Micro Focus Developer Forum 2004Your opportunity to maximize the value of your COBOL in an environment dedicated to provide the training, hands-on tools, skills and answers vital to your business and career success now and into the future.
3 days that will make a difference North America Europe Space is limited! Register for the Micro Focus Developer Forum today. |
In The News
Company News
ACADEMIC MANAGEMENT SERVICES UNLOCKS THE POWER OF LEGACY WITH MICRO FOCUS
ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 6, 2004 - Micro Focus International (Micro Focus®) today announced that Academic Management Services (AMS), one of the nation's largest providers of integrated payment solutions for higher education, has successfully deployed EnterpriseLink® with Component Generator to deliver cost-effective and agile Web-based composite applications that reuse valuable legacy assets, including application infrastructure and existing skill sets from employees.
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SupportLine News
Server Express v4.0 Release
Server Express v4.0 has been released for the following platforms: IBM pSeries running AIX 5.1/5.2, Solaris SPARC, SuSE Enterprise Linux 8.0 (SLES8). Similar releases for other UNIX based platforms will follow in the coming months. Select the following link to view the major additions to this Server Express version.
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Micro Focus Net Express with .NET University Edition is released
Micro Focus has released Net Express with .NET University Edition (UE). Net Express University Edition delivers the powerful new functionality in Net Express with .NET to the student community, while a 2200 line/program limit and other items differentiates University Edition from the standard product. The major new features in this UE product focused only on adding the very important feature of .NET support to the existing Net Express 4.0 UE product range (Net Express 4.0 UE + .NET Support = Net Express with .NET UE). These include:
- Migration, Extension and Development of COBOL business logic for deployment into the Microsoft .NET Framework
- Integration with Visual Studio .NET 2003
- Easy development and debugging of composite COBOL/C#/VB.NET applications
- Bundling of Visual Studio .NET Premier Partner Edition
- OpenESQL support for Microsoft ADO.NET
- Creation of .NET Style XML Web services
New White Papers
IT Approaches for Business Agility
This 4-page Executive Summary discusses how IT can become more agile through software reuse. Methodologies such as the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) have advocated software reuse for years. However, new lightweight methods and innovative new platforms and tools foster a less risky evolutionary approach with much success.
http://www.microfocus.com/whitepapers/index.asp?wpp=int
SupportLine Web Page News
As mentioned previously, we have been rolling out some improvements to our SupportLine web page functionality. The following are the highlights of the changes this past month
Knowledge Base The additional search category of Articles About Product Updates has been added. This will allow you to quickly search for any Knowledge Base articles that refer to or concern any Product Updates. |  |
Third Thursday Webcast training sessions now available on the SupportLine web site. Did you want to attend the Third Thursday Webcast training sessions over the past two months and it didn't work out? Are you interested in learning about these topics on your own time? Beginning with this past October's Webcast session, these training sessions will now be recorded and made available on the SupportLine web site to view when the time is right for You! The recordings are a one hour Micro Focus Webcast recorded file, including both audio and video. The files are WebEx recorded format (.wrf) and upon clicking on the file, the WebEx Player plug-in is downloaded if needed and installed into your browser, and will play the recording automatically. The file will be played using streaming from our server and does not need to downloaded to your local drive. The following three Webcasts are currently available: CreatingCOMObjects_11202003.wrf - Introduces the new features, using the Interface Mapping Toolkit, in Net Express 4.0, to create Component Object Model (COM) objects. MicroFocusAnd.NET_12182003.wrf - This presentation will discuss and demonstrate how to migrate, develop, maintain and deploy COBOL applications within the Microsoft .NET Framework. It will demonstrate how to take advantage of Microsoft's .NET architecture as a language independent environment and how to leverage the features of Visual Studio .NET to extend COBOL development and applications into the .NET framework. This is a one hour Micro Focus Webcast recorded file (WebEx recorded format .wrf), including audio and video. After clicking on the file, the WebEx Player(~2MB) will be downloaded and installed if needed, and will play automatically. To access the recorded Webcasts: Login into to the SupportLine Web page by selecting the Support link at the top of the Micro Focus web site (http://www.microfocus.com), or go to it directly by going to http://supportline.microfocus.com |
Product News
Do you want to update to Net Express 4.0 with .NET?
Whether you are sure or not, all you need to do is go to the Net Express with .NET page to find out all of the information on the new .NET release of Net Express v4.0. From this page, you can request an update to update your older (pre-v4.0) Net Express version, download the .NET support to add into your current Net Express v4.0 product, find out about .NET training, read several related White Papers, as well as just find out what the addition of .NET means to Net Express v4.0 and you. If you have Net Express v4.0 and a copy of Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003, then you can download and add in the .NET support to your Net Express product today! Just go to the Product Updates link in the SupportLine Self-Service menu and select the entry for Net Express 4.0 / Net Express with .NET.
Upcoming Events
| North American Events Upcoming Trade Shows January 2004
February 2004
February/March 2004
April 2004
| European Events January, February, March 2004 COBOL@Work Net Express/Enterprise Server - Creating and deploying web services Germany March 2004
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Other News
Join the monthly Micro Focus Webcasts
Micro Focus conducts two Webcasts each month. These Webcasts are delivered in a one hour format, with the hour made up of about 45 minutes of presentation or instruction, followed by a 15 minute question and answer session.
First Friday Webcast
The First Fridays Webcast focus is on topics of critical concern to enterprise IT directors and developers. IT professionals in organizations whose legacy systems depend on the stability of COBOL should not miss these important events. Information about the First Friday Webcasts is available at
http://www.microfocus.com/promotion/firstfriday/schedule.asp.
E-Learning Webcasts
Join us every 3rd Thursday of the month for a one hour e-learning session on special interest topics related to Micro Focus products. The sessions are FREE and fully web-based. Registration is available online for the upcoming sessions. The next session is:
January 22, 2004 - Combining COBOL and non-COBOL in a .NET Framework
January's Third Thursday session will discuss and demonstrate how existing COBOL code can be recompiled to .NET managed COBOL and run successfully without change. It will also demonstrate how recompiled and unaltered COBOL can then call and be called by managed code in other .NET languages, such as C#. This session will further discuss the data types used in COBOL and the need to be compatible with the data types available to non-COBOL managed code. This will be demonstrated by mapping COBOL types to .NET types through the use of a COBOL proxy class acting as an interface between existing procedural COBOL programs and non-COBOL code. A Micro Focus expert will present this topic. A Question and Answer period will follow the presentation and demo. Don't miss this session if you want to gain an understanding of how to combine COBOL and non-COBOL programs within a .NET framework.
For more details>
Micro Focus Training
Micro Focus Training & Education is committed to providing training that accelerates our customer's implementation and return on investment of Micro Focus tools. If you are interested in registering for a course, please contact us through the web at: www.microfocus.com/training. To view the courses and contact numbers for the individual countries, please select the proper link in the following list:
Product Updates
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The following product updates have been made available this month:
Net Express 4.0- All WebSync WrapPack - all00n40.exe
- Net Express with .NET - NXNET.exe
- Common Communications Interface FixPack - cci01n40.exe
- Compiler FixPack - cmp02n40.exe
- CSBIND FixPack - csb01n40.exe
- Data Tools FixPack - dft01n40.exe
- Documentation FixPack - doc02n40.exe
- Dialog System FixPack - dsy02n40.exe
- OpenESQL FixPack - esq02n40.exe
- IDE FixPack - ide01n40.exe
- Interface Mapping Toolkit FixPack - imk01n40.exe
- OO GUI Class Library FixPack - ogc01n40.exe
- Run-time System FixPack - rts03n40.exe
- Unix Option FixPack - unx00n40.exe
- XML Support FixPack - xml02n40.exe
- Application Server for Net Express with .NET - NXNETSERVER.exe
- Application Server Service Pack - aps02a40.exe
- Common Communications Interface FixPack - cci02n31.exe
- Compiler FixPack - cmp16n31.exe
- Documentation FixPack - doc12n31.exe
- Dialog System FixPack - dsy11n31.exe
- OpenESQL FixPack - esq11n31.exe
- Internet Tools FixPack - itl02n31.exe
- Run-time System FixPack - rts13n31.exe
- File Handler FixPack - xfh15n31.exe
- Application Server Service Pack - aps20a31.exe
- AIX 5.1 (32bit)
- Fixpack40.01_1_cob.tar.encr - Development System FixPack
- AIX 5.2 (64Bit)
- Fixpack40.01_1_cob.tar.encr - Development System FixPack
- Sun Sparc 8 (32bit/64Bit)
- Fixpack40.01_1_cob.tar.encr - Development System FixPack
- lsf05l40.exe - License Server FixPack
For full details, please view the readme files that accompany the WebSync FixPacks.
Requesting Product Update
As a SupportLine customer, you can receive your FREE update to a complete version of the current release on CD by sending an email to Update@microfocus.com. You will need to provide your Name, Company, Phone, and Fax numbers, email address, shipping address, number of users, your current product serial number(s), and to which product or release you wish to Update.
License Key Requests
Along with the other recent changes, the address to use to request new license keys has changed. License Keys for AAI, EnterpriseLink, Mainframe Express, Mainframe Manager, Net Express, Revolve, and Transformation Product Suite products should now be requested in one of two ways. They should either be requested through the Request/Obtain License link, located on the SupportLine web page Self Service menu, or they should be sent to the new e-mail address of urk@microfocus.com All of the previous e-mail addresses used for obtaining new license keys are now invalid.
Technical Articles
Articles and demos to inform you about functions and features of your Micro Focus products
Net Express
Correctly displaying OEM characters under Dialog System on Windows
Applications initially developed with COBOL Workbench use the OEM format for data while applications developed with Net Express (and Dialog System of Net Express) use ANSI format. How can you correctly display OEM characters under Dialog System? This article describes the steps you need to take to allow OEM character representations to be used.
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Encountering "155 Illegal command line" errors when compiling in Net Express
This type of error occurs when the directives line that is built for Net Express compiles is not correct. The directives that can be picked up for building the directives entry for the Net Express Build function can come from a number of sources. This article describes the process for finding the offending directive entry and effecting the necessary corrections.
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Mainframe Express
Changing XDB Server Configuration information from a command prompt in Mainframe Express
To change the Server configuration settings for the XDB Server users currently go to Options - SQL for DB2 - XDB Server. A request was made to allow these changes to be made from a command prompt. This can now be done. This article discusses how this is accomplished.
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Determining the real value of Negative SQLCA codes
Currently Mainframe Express (MFE) does not contain documentation about the negative SQLCA code For example XDB error -2088 or cannot access Mainframe DB2 table via COBOL. This article instructs how to translate these into XDB error codes so you can determine the actual cause for the error.
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Revolve / Revolve Enterprise Edition
New Update of the Micro Focus Revolve 6.2 Transformation Product Suite
The latest update to the Revolve 6.2 Transformation Product Suite is now available through the Product Updates selection on the SupportLine web page. This document outlines the significant changes in this update.
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How to enter a SHARED project as Admin with a password
In REQL, how would an administrator be able to run a make admin function on a project that has a password? If this is not possible, then how can you then remove the password from a project, so the user does not have to recreate the project? This article discusses the solutions to these questions.
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Planned Product Withdrawals
Are you aware of the Product Withdrawal Schedule Information within the Micro Focus Product Advisory pages? This schedule shows the planned (or past) withdrawal dates of Micro Focus products and their successor products. It is advisable for you to check this schedule from time to time, so you can stay up to date on the plans near term plans for the Micro Focus products that you are using.
A reminder: Many of the Object COBOL Developer Suite v4.1 products on all UNIX platforms are being withdrawn as of December 31, 2003. All withdrawn releases are, or have been, replaced by either Object COBOL Developer Suite v4.2 or by a Server Express release. If you are still operating on v4.1 product versions, you should be planning on upgrading your release to correspond to this schedule.
A "withdrawn release" means that new corrective fixes will no longer be made available. Other SupportLine services continue to be available once a product is "withdrawn" until such time as that the release is "withdrawn from support".
The full Product Withdrawal Schedule can be found on the Micro Focus web site at:
withdrawal
Resources
Micro Focus Forum
If you haven't visited the new Micro Focus Forum, you should check out what other users of the products are doing there.
http://www.cobolportal.com/microfocusforum/
The COBOL Portal
Have you visited the new COBOL Portal lately?
Many changes and enhancements have been made to the COBOL Portal recently to make it 'the' web site for the COBOL developer..
http://www.cobolportal.com
Have you visited the Micro Focus SupportLine web page? Have you registered for access?
If you haven't you should!
By accessing the SupportLine web page, you can:
- Submit issues directly to our support operation just as you would over the telephone. Issues submitted through the website given the same priority as telephone inquiries.
- View the status of the cases you have submitted to Support, whether you opened them through the web or through a telephone call to us. You may also update the information on your open cases to provide additional information.
- You can view the status of any product defect reports you have submitted to us.
There are self-help services available on the SupportLine web page that will allow you to find answers to a variety of product questions, provide you with a concentrated sub-site for Net Express information and examples, and give you access to our AnswerLab user community messaging area.
If you haven't registered and visited our SupportLine web page, you owe it to yourself to see what you have been missing. Click on the following links to register (all you need is your personal information and your product serial numbers) to access the SupportLine web page and start benefiting from these services.
Register for an online SupportLine account
Access the SupportLine Web Page
Please Help Improve Communication Within The Micro Focus User Community
If you know of any users of Micro Focus products, development support team members, technical architects or any other parties who would be interested in receiving future issues of this communication each month, please direct them to the registration page where they can register online.
