I am looking to dynamically reduce memory usage for a calling program and a 
sub-program.  The calling program reads in an HTTP message from a socket 
and it reads, and sets the MESSAGE-LENGTH value based upon the length of 
the received transaction.  

Here's the calling program specifics:

 01  MESSAGE-LENGTH              PIC S9(9) COMP VALUE 0.
 01  SOCKET-BUFFER.
      05  FILLER                   PIC X OCCURS 1 TO 5000000 TIMES
                                       DEPENDING ON MESSAGE-LENGTH.
...

     CALL "SUBPRG" USING MESSAGE-LENGTH, SOCKET-BUFFER.


Here's the sub-program specifics:

 LINKAGE SECTION.                                                 
                                                                  
 01  MESSAGE-LENGTH            PIC S9(9) COMP.                    
 01  READ-SOCKET-BUFFER.                                          
      05  FILLER                   PIC X OCCURS 1 TO 5000000 TIMES 
                                       DEPENDING ON MESSAGE-LENGTH.    

 PROCEDURE DIVISION USING
           MESSAGE-LENGTH, READ-SOCKET-BUFFER.           

Questions:

Does COBOL pass the buffer to the sub-program by memory reference?  In 
other words, all that is passed is a memory reference to the buffer that both 
the calling program and sub-program access.  I am thinking yes.

Does the DEPENDING clause and value in MESSAGE-LENGTH determine the 
actual allocation of memory?

Or is memory allocated to the maxium in the OCCURS no matter what the value 
of MESSAGE-LENGTH?

Perhaps there's another more efficent way to dynamically allocate the 
memory.  Any advice would be much appreciated.

TIA.

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