Video Options

-Va This option must be used with either the -Vh or -Vl option. When used, the default intensity specified by the -Vh or -Vl option will be used only for ACCEPT statements. DISPLAY statements will use the opposite intensity. Thus -Vha will cause the default intensity for ACCEPT statements to be high while the default for DISPLAY statements will be low. When Screen Section items are used, then input and update fields will use the ACCEPT intensity, while output and literal fields will use the DISPLAY intensity.
-Vb This option causes the phrase BLANK LINE, when used in a Screen Section entry, to be treated as if it were written BLANK EOL. Most other COBOL compilers work this way, but the X/Open COBOL standard requires the syntax supported by ACUCOBOL-GT.
-Vc This option causes any ACCEPT statement that contains a numeric or numeric edited receiving field to be treated as if the CONVERT phrase were also specified. This is the default for RM/COBOL-85 but not for RM/COBOL version 2 or VAX COBOL.
-Vd This option causes non-USAGE DISPLAY numeric items to be converted to USAGE DISPLAY before the screen display occurs. This option is used in conjunction with the -Ca switch for Micro Focus and HP COBOL compatibility.
-Ve      This option alters the rules that determine which conditions cause an ON EXCEPTION phrase to receive control in a Format 1 ACCEPT statement. Normally, entering an exception key will cause the ON EXCEPTION phrase to receive control. If you specify this option, then you must follow the -Ve with a digit (as part of the same argument) taken from the following list:
  • 1 - Exception keys cause the ON EXCEPTION phrase to execute (default handling).
  • 2 - Conversion error causes the ON EXCEPTION phrase to execute. When a numeric item is being entered and the CONVERT phrase is specified, then entering an illegal number will cause the exception.
  • 3 - Combines the effects of both 1 and 2.

By default, the runtime system handles conversion errors by displaying an error message and forcing the user to re-enter the data. If you specify -Ve2 or -Ve3, then conversion errors are returned to your program instead. For strict compatibility with VAX COBOL, you should specify -Ve2, while for strict compatibility with RM/COBOL, you should specify -Ve3. The default setting is recommended, however, because it provides a meaning for ON EXCEPTION that is more consistent with the rest of the ACUCOBOL-GT language.

-Vg This option specifies which controls get COLOR information from their containing group item. Note that COLOR information includes BACKGROUND-COLOR, FOREGROUND-COLOR, COLOR, FOREGROUND-RGB, and BACKGROUND-RGB. Specify the -Vgcompiler option to not propagate color information. This can be optionally followed by a number, which is the bitwise OR of the control types to not propagate color for.

For a specific control type, the bit to use is 1 shifted left the control type number bits. So for the LABEL control, use 2 (1 shifted left 1), for PUSH-BUTTON, use 8 (1 shifted left 3), etc. Note that sample/def/controls.def file defines each control type, where you see entries such as CTL-LABEL is 1, and CTL-PUSH-BUTTON.

There should be no spaces between the -Vg and the following number.

Without any argument, PUSH-BUTTONS, CHECK-BOXES, and RADIO-BUTTONS do not get propagated color info. So -Vg is equivalent to -Vg56. Note that 56 = 32 + 16 + 8, which is (1 shifted left 5) + (1 shifted left 4) + (1 shifted left 3), and CTL-RADIO-BUTTON = 5, CTL-CHECK-BOX = 4, and CTL-PUSH-BUTTON = 3.

-Vg0 is equivalent to not using this option at all. Because the controls are 1-based and not 0-based, -Vg1 is the same as using the -Vg option at all.

-Vh This option forces the default video intensity for ACCEPT and DISPLAY statements to be set to high intensity. The default for ACUCOBOL-GT is to use the normal operating intensity for the terminal being used.
-Vi This option changes the behavior of a Screen Section ERASE (and BLANK) phrase with respect to color handling. If the screen item containing the ERASE phrase has either BACKGROUND-COLOR or COLOR specified, then the -Vi option causes the erased area to be painted with that color instead of the subwindow's background color.

Keep in mind that background color can be specified using a background color number with the COLOR phrase.

If the screen item has no background color specification, or if the background color portion of a COLOR phrase is zero, then the subwindow's background color is used.

The default behavior is to use the current subwindow's background color when executing an ERASE phrase.

-Vl This option forces the default video intensity for ACCEPT and DISPLAY statement to be set to low intensity.
-Vq This option causes ACUCOBOL-GT to produce quiet programs by inhibiting the default bell produced by ACCEPT statements compiled in RM/COBOL compatibility mode. However, this does not override explicit BELL or BEEP phrases.
-Vu This option allows you to imply the UPDATE phrase for all Format 1 ACCEPT statements that do not have an explicit UPDATE or DEFAULT phrase specified for them.
-Vx This option allows exception keys to be entered by the user for any ACCEPT statement. Normally, ACUCOBOL-GT inhibits the use of exception keys on ACCEPT statements that do not have a CONTROL KEY clause or an ON EXCEPTION clause.