IBM Enterprise COBOL / Db2 coprocessor - Validate Db2 cursor names at compile time

Hi,

The IBM Enterprise COBOL compiler supports the translation of Db2 statements (delegating them to the compiler's integrated coprocessor).
These Db2 statements can reference read cursors, and cursors have an identifier.

We noted that only the EXEC SQL OPEN CURSOR statement was subject to cursor name validation at compile time, and that no validation was performed for other EXEC SQL statements accessing cursors.

In fact, some statements can reference dynamically created cursors: EXEC SQL FETCH and EXEC SQL CLOSE.
Note that if there is an IGYPS0209-W warning on the EXEC SQL FETCH command, there is none on the EXEC SQL CLOSE command, and the error will only be detected at run time.

However, other EXEC SQL statements that use the WHERE CURRENT OF CURSOR clause do not allow dynamically created cursors but are not checked at compile time: they trigger an SQLCODE -504 at BIND PACKAGE time, proving that it cannot be a dynamic cursor.

In a CI/CD chain, build time and deployment time are often separated and handled in different processes.

Anomalies on Db2 cursors should be detected at build time (compilation), before being detected at deployment time (bind package).

Thanks.

COBOLVUE-I-415.txt

Post comment

Guest

Aug 27, 2025

This idea is being reviewed further, but we believe it will most likely need to be implemented in the co-processor and transferred to the Db2 team.

Reply
Hide replies

By clicking the "Post Comment" or "Submit Idea" button, you are agreeing to the IBM Ideas Portal Terms of Use.
Do not place IBM confidential, company confidential, or personal information into any field.

Please enter your email address

RELATED IDEAS

IBM Enterprise COBOL / Db2 coprocessor - Validate Db2 cursor names at compile time