[open-cobol-list] Dialect emulation and "E-Level messages"

[William M. Klein]

The purpose of this note is to state my STRONGEST possible desire that
OpenCOBOL *not* provide "generic" compiler emulation support for syntax that
the "emulated" compiler labels as an ERROR (and issues an E-level - or their
equivalent) message - even if the emulated compiler creates "object code" in
such situations.

I know for a fact, that the VAST majority of IBM mainframe shops do *not*
allow code into "production use" if the return code from the compiler is
ABOVE a 4 - even though such compiles do create object code.

In all my years of working for and with Micro Focus, I don't remember any
sites that "regularly" allowed source code getting E-level messages into
"production use".

  ***

The whole "point" of E-level messages (in those environments that provide
such) is to allow a compile to "complete" so that the programmer can get/see
as many ERRORS as possible from one compile.  The purpose is NOT to allow
"bad source code" into production use. 

E-Level error messages *do* tell what the "compiler is assuming" (even
though it is ALWAYS different from what was coded). It is expected that the
programmer will FIX the source code to MATCH the desired (and supported)
behavior.

  ***

For examples of some of the AWFUL code that you would need to "support" if
you start adding E-level error message syntax as "valid" (with or without a
warning), see:

 http://home.netcom.com/~wmklein/IBM/ErrMsg.htm

and do a "find" on 
  "-E"

If you do repeated FINDS you will see HUNDREDS of "bad" syntax examples for
which IBM *does* produce object code - even though the source code is
CLEARLY "illegal".