Xudong wrote:

> I used to debug a COBOL program with VPLUS screens with a dumb terminal.
> But these day there is no dumb terminal anymore. I asked many people abo
> ut it, and nobody was able to answer the question. Any guru on the net c
> an answer this question?

Although some answers have popped up, I didn't see any that addressed
a key issue:

   You usually need a second "terminal" when debugging VPLUS applications.
   This is because you've redirected either the VPLUS I/O to a second
   terminal while the debug I/O comes to the first terminal, or vice versa.

   One way you could redirect the VPLUS I/O was to issue a file equate
   like: FILE A264X,new;acc=inout;dev=111  ... or whatever name you
   used in the VCOMAREA.

   In the "old" days, you'd just pick terminal that was connected but
   not logged on, and specify it via a file equate using its LDEV.

   However, many of us have fewer terminals now, and use sessions over
   the network.  The unfortunate thing there is that an ldev isn't assigned
   until the new session is started...and once it's started, the ldev
   is assigned already, so you can't open it from another session.

   Now, some users have asked for a solution to this (ranging from
   re-inventing the MPE V "DATA user.account" logon, to ... ),
   but nothing is likely to happen in the near future.

   One workaround, requiring that the user have PM, and which only
   redirects the input/output of Debug/iX (and not of any ordinary
   PRINTS/WRITELNs/whatever) is to do:

      1) logon to account with PM

      2) logon (via network) to the same system;
         determine your LDEV;  (let's assume it is 123)

         "lock up" your session by entering:   PAUSE 7200

      3) from the original session, run the application; DEBUG

      4) enter:   env term_ldev -#123
         (where 123 is the decimal LDEV of the session where you want
         Debug/iX I/O to appear).  The "-" means: I'm PM, and I know
         what I'm doing, and I really want you to use that terminal.
         Be very careful when entering this...mistakes may cause severe
         problems)

      5) from the srecond sessoin (ldev 123), where there is now a
         Debug/iX prompt, set any breakpoints you want and then
         resume running by entering:  c

   However, remember that most systems have at least one hardwired
   terminal: ldev 20.  If you get desperate, logically move the console
   to a different ldev, logoff the session (if any) on ldev 20, and
   then run your application with VPLUS redirected to ldev 20.

--
Stan Sieler                                          [log in to unmask]
                                     http://www.allegro.com/sieler.html