Microsoft KB Archive/39588

Networks Can Run Only One COBOL 3.0 SORT Process at Once

PSS ID Number: Q39588 Article last modified on 04-20-1993

3.00 3.00a | 3.00 3.00a MS-DOS | OS/2

Summary: When the Microsoft COBOL version 3.0 or 3.0a SORT is used, COBOL writes a temporary sort file to the default directory of the default drive using a default filename. The name that your COBOL program can provide with the VALUE OF FILE-ID clause in the SD is not actually used as the temporary filename. Therefore, if a second networked process attempts to SORT any file in the same directory, both processes will attempt to use that same temporary filename. This will cause the second process to wait until the first process has completed its SORT. Earlier versions of the Microsoft COBOL Compiler use the VALUE OF FILE-ID clause correctly so that both processes can perform a SORT concurrently. Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in versions 3.0 and 3.0a. This problem was corrected in Microsoft COBOL Professional Development System version 4.0 for MS-DOS and MS OS/2.

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.00a Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.