Re: Fwd: GnuCOBOL call parameter problem.

[James K. Lowden]

On Thu, 4 Jun 2020 14:35:21 -0400
Ron Norman <rjn@inglenet.com> wrote:

> GnuCOBOL supports many of the same routines defined by Microfocus...
...
>     cobcall ("routine1",2,argv);

Hmm.  Section 11.8.5. of the cobc Programmer?s Guide, "C Main Programs
Calling GnuCOBOL Subprograms" does not mention cobcall.  The string
"cobcall" does not appear in that manual, nor in the info file.  This,
as John Cleese might say, is an ex-function.  

Nor is cobcall a good idea.  A good idea is what the Programmer's Guide
documents: Cobol functions called from C programs with the C calling
convention, full stop.  Maybe the library has to be initialized, sure,
fine, OK.  But a special gateway function to call all other functions?
Why?  

If we want to include -- and document -- cobcall for compatibility
purposes with MF, that's also fine.  But we shouldn't require it or
depend on it.  

Can you explain how deep the current dependency goes, and what in your
mind would be needed to get rid of it?  

--jkl