Guys...

You're getting the error because in the first way used, the Cobol compiler
expects the list file to already exist (Paul's first example):

 :COB85XL DISCTST,DISCTST.OBJ.RSEN,DISCTST.LST.RSEN

tells the compiler to direct output to disctst.lst.rsen and the compiler
expects the file to already exist in the permanent domain. Since the file
doesn't, the error "NONEXISTENT PERMANENT FILE  (FSERR 52)" is reported and
the compiler aborts.

"COBLIST" is the formal file designator that gets overridden with
disctst.lst.rsen (or another supplied file name). You could build the file
COBLIST and output will be directed to that file, or you can build a file
and use a file equation FILE COBLIST=PERMFILE.LST.RSEN - something like
that.

Kevin Miller said "I guess COBOL is not quite as smart as the other
compilers on this."

Ask Walter if this was an ANSI requirement to meet the Cobol committee
requirements... that COBLIST be the formal designator and the compiler
require the parameter. I'm pretty sure Walter is still on the list, and as
we know he wrote the compiler.

Kevin also supplied a file equation specifying the "new" and "save"
parameters, then back references the file equation for the compiler (for
Paul this means tells the compiler where to find the file or in this case
the directive to create it upon opening and save it in the permanent file
domain when closing). You may have already noticed that MPE contains a very
rich range of file types - including temporary files - something that does
not exist in the Linux world. Too bad, they come in handy!

Most of the time I used the COB85XLK script, which compiles, prepares
(links) and saves the final compiled program as an executable:

:cob85xlk source,compiled,$null

I use the $null parameter as I normally don't want a listing. For debugging
purposes I of course do, and then either build a file and transfer it to my
pc to use notepad to look at it or I use a file equation to send the output
to a spool file for printing portions or all of the listing. I almost never
print an entire program - wastes paper - I retrained myself probably 20
years ago away from paper and to on-screen researching. Somewhere I have
boxes of 8 1/2 x 14 greenbar that I used to use to list programs (didn't
like 11 x 14 greenbar - too big, didn't fit in a legal size file folder).

Using the cob85xl construct requires me to use linkedit - which needs to be
done to pull in C library routines for certain programs.

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