Developer: My Application Uses Assembler Support

You can include Assembler modules in your COBOL or PL/I projects. You can edit Assembler source code, compile and link the code including copybooks and macros provided with Enterprise Developer, or ones you have written yourself, trace and debug your Assembler modules.

The following steps provide guidance on how to create mainframe projects in Enterprise Developer for your COBOL and PL/I applications that use Assembler, and how to debug and test them. The assumption is that you will be adding your existing application sources to a Visual Studio project.

1. Configure Visual Studio for Assembler support.

   The default settings in Enterprise Developer are settings aimed at Mainframe Subsystem Application development. You can check and fine-tune them as follows:

   • Directives scanning of files added to the project - find more info about the COBOL and PL/I file scanning preferences.
   • Editor productivity and colorization - check the preferences for COBOL and for PL/I.
2. Create a Mainframe Application Project for COBOL or for Create a PL/I project.
3. Add your source files - see how for COBOL or for PL/I projects.
4. Configure the project's properties:

   For example, for COBOL:

   • Application page - specify what the output type should be and any environment variables
   • SQL page - specify an ESQL preprocessor and directives
   • Dependencies Paths page - specify the paths to your copybooks
   • Assembler page - specify compiler and linker settings, as well as CICS preprocessor details
   • COBOL page- specify a dialect with Enterprise COBOL for z/OS set by default; and the encoding.
   • Debug page - specify options for debugging the application.

   For PL/I projects, click here.

5. Edit your source files - see some tips for COBOL, PL/I, and Assembler files.
6. Build your application.
7. Configure the project:
   • Specify location for the output files
   • Specify compiler directives
   • Compile Assembler copybooks and macros that use EXEC CICS
   • Linking considerations
8. Debug applications
9. Configure Programs' Memory Requirements
10. Use the GTF

Further, to get familiar with the process of developing CICS applications in Enterprise Developer, Micro Focus recommends that you go through the following tutorial:

• Assembler tutorial