Peter Smithson asked about calling HPEXTIN, in the context of needing to
call the PAUSE intrinsic from COBOL.  Following is some code that might be
useful.

When I was in the Response Center, we were frequently asked how to call
PAUSE from COBOL, and I didn't like any of the sample code fragments we had
in our files.  I wrote an Engineering Note that I hoped would be the
definitive solution to the problem.

This should be Engineering Note A3043325, but I don't know whether those old
ENs are still available at the ITRC.

Walter


PROBLEM TEXT

I need to call the PAUSE intrinsic from COBOL.  I would like sample code
that would work on both MPE V and MPE/iX.

DETAIL TEXT

HP 3000
MPE V (all versions)
MPE/iX (all versions)
COBOL II/V (all versions)
COBOL II/iX (all versions)

RESOLUTION TEXT

The following sample code will work on both MPE V and MPE/iX, in both
Compatibility Mode and Native Mode.

Because COBOL II does not support real numbers, the key is to call
HPEXTIN to convert from "external" (COBOL DISPLAY) format to "internal"
(floating-point) format.  In this sample, the .LOC. pseudo-intrinsic is
used to capture the length of the field to be converted; moving 6 to
STRINGLEN would have worked as well.

Following is the COBOL subprogram.

$CONTROL DYNAMIC
 IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
 PROGRAM-ID. EZPAUSE.
*
*    This is a "universal" subroutine for calling the PAUSE
*    intrinsic from COBOL.  This source file can be compiled
*    in any of the following environments.
*
*    * ANSI74 or ANSI85.
*    * COBOL II on MPE V systems.
*    * Compatibility mode COBOL II on MPE/iX systems.
*    * Native mode COBOL II/iX on MPE/iX systems.
*
*    The subroutine can reside in a USL, an RL, an SL,
*    an NMOBJ file, or an XL.  Or use this as sample code
*    showing how to call PAUSE directly from your program.
*
 DATA DIVISION.
 WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
 77  STRINGLEN        PIC S9(4)    COMP.
 77  REAL-NUMBER      PIC S9(9)    COMP.
 77  ERR-OR           PIC S9(4)    COMP.
 LINKAGE SECTION.
 77  PAUSE-SECONDS    PIC 9(6).
 PROCEDURE DIVISION USING PAUSE-SECONDS.
 BEGIN.
     CALL INTRINSIC ".LEN." USING PAUSE-SECONDS GIVING STRINGLEN.
     CALL "HPEXTIN" USING
             @PAUSE-SECONDS, STRINGLEN,
             \0\, \1\, \0\, \0\,
             REAL-NUMBER, ERR-OR.
     CALL INTRINSIC "PAUSE" USING REAL-NUMBER.
     EXIT PROGRAM.

Following is a test program that calls the subprogram shown above.

 IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
 PROGRAM-ID. MURRAY.
*
*    This test program calls "EZPAUSE" twice, first to
*    pause for 8 seconds, then for 3 seconds.
*
 DATA DIVISION.
 WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.
 77  PAUSE-SECONDS    PIC 9(6).
 PROCEDURE DIVISION.
 BEGIN.
     DISPLAY "BEGIN".
     MOVE 8 TO PAUSE-SECONDS.  CALL "EZPAUSE" USING PAUSE-SECONDS.
     DISPLAY "THREE MORE SECONDS".
     MOVE 3 TO PAUSE-SECONDS.  CALL "EZPAUSE" USING PAUSE-SECONDS.
     DISPLAY "END".
     STOP RUN.

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