Re: Unorthodoxed usage of FUNCTION SUM in CICS/COBOL

The point of dynamically calculating the maximum occurs is to remove
the need to have a max occurs 'constant' and also, to use this
calculated value as the table hibounds within the program, which
eliminates the need to go 'hunting' for hard-coded hibounds and make
changes if/when the occurs maximum also changes.

The BMS/GT maps cannot be altered and when they change, then reliance
is placed upon the programmer to ensure ALL references to the
previously hard-coded hibound have also been changed. If the hibound is
calculated dynamically, whether it's using the FUNCTION SUM method or
the method I wrote about in the link below, it lends itself to reduced
maintenance against the max occurs, but also a builtin ceiling that
prevents addressing beyond the maximum.

Yes, as I said in my subject title that this method was a bit
unorthodoxed, but it gets the job done. As long as it's documented, I
don't see it as an issue.

My initial post mentioned the use of a 'group' level above the
'OCCURS', which would make this calculation a snap. The environment (as
stated in my initial post) is VSE/ESA, where HIGH-VALUES is an
understood value. But you knew that, didn't you?

http://groups.google.com/group/comp...65b7c06bdb64a29