Jeff Vance replied to Jim Killan
 
><snip... is anyone aware of a way to let [processes] A and B [within the
>>same job] have their own unshared value for HPCIERROR (Or any system
variable)?>
 
>I wish there was an easy way to have process local CI variables.  It
>has been our our want-to-do-sometime list for a long time (> 6 years).
>The only "local variable" concept the CI has are command file and UDC
>parameters.  Parameters are always treated as strings (even if not
>quoted) and are pass-by-value arguments: parameters cannot be modified
>by the script.  But I can't think of a way to exploit this since HPCIERR
>(and CIERROR) are global to every process in the same job/session.  In fact,
>this very problem has made it difficult to write OpenView OperationsCenter
>scripts for the 3000.
 
<snip>
 
>Well, I hope I at least got you thinking a bit (or deciding to place more
>votes for local CI vars at the next SIGMPE meeting at HP World)
>Supporting SYSTEM global variables is an item on the current SIGMPE list,
>maybe process local variables is too?
 
I also would like to see local CI vars be available in MPE/iX.
We have had to create a work around as follows -
 
Each process in the process tree attempts to build a small temporary file named
"SCROLLnn".  The nn is calculated from 1 and incremented by 1 until the file can
be built.  We then use this number as part of our CI variable names.
eg The first process would build temp file SCROLL01 and create variable CIERR01.
The second process would build temp file SCROLL02 and create variable CIERR02.
 
This enables each process to manage its own variables.  The variables are
deleted before the process completes and the temporary files delete
automatically when the job/session logs off.
 
I hope this helps give some more ideas until we get local CI variables.
 
Jeanette Nutsford
Computometric Systems Ltd (New Zealand)
[log in to unmask]
 
SIGCOBOL Co Chairman