GUI ScreenIO for Windows

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AcuCOBOL

Copy the file GS.COB from the GUI ScreenIO installation directory to wherever you keep your COBOL program source code.

Launch your COBOL program editor.

Open GS.COB so that you can edit it.

Examine the source code (it's pretty simple). The comments at the beginning of the program explain what you need to do.  Remove the comments from the AcuCOBOL section of code as shown below:

DATA DIVISION

No changes.

PROCEDURE DIVISION

 0001-PASSTHROUGH-CALL
*----------------------------------------------------------
*--> AcuCOBOL and IBM VisualAge COBOL <--*
* Note: AcuCOBOL requires the environmental DLL_CONVENTION=1
*
     CALL 'GS32' USING BY REFERENCE A B C D.
     GOBACK.
     ENTRY 'GSWINAPI' USING W A B C D E F.
     CALL 'GSWAPI' USING BY REFERENCE W A B C D E F.
     GOBACK.

Be sure that the source code for other compilers is commented out.

Save GS.COB.

Compile GS.COB.

Related topics:


Environmental values

NOTE:  You need to set an environmental value when you use AcuCOBOL.  This causes AcuCOBOL to correctly generate GS.COB with the linkage conventions needed to call the GUI ScreenIO runtime, GS32.DLL, which uses standard Windows system calling conventions.

     SET DLL_CONVENTION=1

The purpose of this setting is to make sure GS.COB uses the proper linkage structures when it calls gs32.dll.  

Setting this environmental affects all DLLs.  See your manual for other methods to control linkage conventions for ONLY the GS.COB program.

Some users find that the environmental setting interferes with linkage conventions needed for other portions of their application.  In this case you may be able to set the linkage conventions "on the fly" by using a AcuCOBOL api to set the linkage convention just prior to entry of gs32.dll as follows:

 0001-PASSTHROUGH-CALL
*----------------------------------------------------------
*--> AcuCOBOL and IBM VisualAge COBOL <--*
* Note: AcuCOBOL requires the environmental DLL_CONVENTION=1
*
     ACCEPT DEFAULT-CONVENTION FROM ENVIRONMENT "DLL_CONVENTION" 
     SET ENVIRONMENT 'DLL_CONVENTION' TO 1
     CALL 'GS32' USING BY REFERENCE A B C D.
     SET ENVIRONMENT 'DLL_CONVENTION' TO DEFAULT-CONVENTION
     GOBACK.

     ENTRY 'GSWINAPI' USING W A B C D E F.
     ACCEPT DEFAULT-CONVENTION FROM ENVIRONMENT "DLL_CONVENTION" 
     SET ENVIRONMENT 'DLL_CONVENTION' TO 1
     CALL 'GSWAPI' USING BY REFERENCE W A B C D E F.
     SET ENVIRONMENT 'DLL_CONVENTION' TO DEFAULT-CONVENTION
     GOBACK.

 

Windows 95, 98, or Me

If you're using Windows 95, 98, or Me, set environmentals in your autoexec.bat file.

Windows NT, 2000, or XP

If you're using Windows NT, 2000, or XP, set environmentals using Control Panel/System/Environment.  


Application profile settings

AcuCOBOL does not support the "&" continuation character for literal strings; it requires the older COBOL-74 style of continuation statement using a dash (-) character in column 7. 

Set this option on the first page of your application profile.  This will cause GUI ScreenIO to save your panel copybooks using the old style for continuation statements.

You must convert any existing panels to this form by editing them in the panel editor and saving them.  Don't be tempted to try this conversion manually as it is easy to make errors.

Warning: CANCEL ALL

If you use the CANCEL ALL verb and your Configuration has CANCEL_ALL_DLLS set to "1" it will cancel GS32.DLL, and subsequent calls to GS (and hence to GS32.DLL) will abend.  Do not Cancel GS32.DLL, ever.


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