Calling command line program from custom COBOL program

Can you just provide the statement that creates the command string and call. Usually what I do is call a script (ksh etc) that has the command and you can pass parameters to it.

Attached is the output file from my P1006 program.  You'll be able to see the command string I'm trying to execute (following the "USING COMMAND STRING OF" entry) and the actual command that is executed (beginning with the word "Option").

Since the "Option" entry is occurring below the Microsoft copyright notice, I'm wondering if it's actually SQL-Server throwing the error and not my COBOL program.  But this doesn't make sense since the displayed command above the Microsoft notice will execute correctly.

Hmmm, taking a look at the output file, I notice at the end of the command string, there's some text referencing the .prt file that is output by the P1006 program. I wonder if this file reference is somehow being passed as part of the command string, whcih in turn results in it's failure?

I am curious to see how you built the command string - if you could post the WS and PD sections that pertian to this ...maybe I can spot something.

Thanks for any help you can provide.  I'm driving myself crazy trying to figure this out.  Funny thing is, this program worked fine in my Lawson 8.x environment.  It's only since migrating it to LSF9 that it blows up.

Here's the text of the PD file:

000100******************************************************************
000200 050-EDIT-PARAMETERS             SECTION 10.
000300******************************************************************
000400 050-START.
000500
000600     IF (PRM-COMPANY-IN = ZEROES)
001400         MOVE 050                   TO CRT-ERROR-NBR
001500         MOVE WS-TRUE               TO WS-PARAMETER-ERROR
001600         PERFORM 780-PRINT-ERROR-MSG
001700         GO TO 050-END.

000600     IF (PRM-MTH-END-DATE = ZEROES)
001400         MOVE 052                      TO CRT-ERROR-NBR
001500         MOVE WS-TRUE                  TO WS-PARAMETER-ERROR
001600         PERFORM 780-PRINT-ERROR-MSG
001700         GO TO 050-END.
001800
001900 050-END.
002000
002100******************************************************************
002200 100-PROGRAM-CONTROL             SECTION 10.
002300******************************************************************
002400 100-START.
002500
002600     MOVE 051                    TO CRT-MSG-NBR.
002700     PERFORM 780-DISPLAY-MSG.
002800
003100     PERFORM 1000-FIRE-OFF-DTS.
003400
003500 100-END.
003600
003700******************************************************************
003800 1000-FIRE-OFF-DTS                 SECTION 50.
003900******************************************************************
004000 1000-START.
            MOVE PRM-COMPANY-IN   TO WS-COMPANY-IN.
004100      MOVE PRM-MTH-END-DATE   TO WS-MTH-END-DATE.
            DISPLAY " ".
               STRING "dtexec /FILE "
                    WS-QUOTE
                    "\\wchlawapp01\f$\DTSX_packages\"
                    "Test_SSIS_package.dtsx"
                    WS-QUOTE
                    " /SET "
                    WS-QUOTE
                    "\Package.Variables[User::COMPANY]"
                    ".Properties[Value]"
                    WS-QUOTE
                    ";"
                    WS-COMPANY-IN
                    " /SET "
                    WS-QUOTE
                    "\Package.Variables[User::MONTH_END_DATE]"
                    ".Properties[Value]"
                    WS-QUOTE
                    ";"
                    WS-MTH-END-DATE                  
                    WS-CARRIAGE-RETURN
                    DELIMITED BY SIZE INTO WS-DTS-COMMAND.
            MOVE WS-DTS-COMMAND TO WS-DTS-COMMAND-DISP.
            DISPLAY "USING COMMAND STRING OF:".
            DISPLAY " ".
            DISPLAY WS-DTS-COMMAND-DISP.
            DISPLAY " ".
006100      CALL "SYSTEM" USING WS-DTS-COMMAND.
020000
020100******************************************************************
020200 1000-END.
020300******************************************************************
020400

And here is the text of the WS file:

000100******************************************************************
000200*                            P1006WS                             *
000300******************************************************************
000400 01  P1006WS.
002800    02 WS-DTS-COMMAND        PIC X(300) VALUE SPACES.
          02 WS-COMPANY-IN         PIC X(2)   VALUE SPACES.
          02 WS-MTH-END-DATE       PIC X(8)   VALUE SPACES.
          02 WS-QUOTE              PIC X      VALUE X"22".
          02 WS-CARRIAGE-RETURN    PIC X      VALUE X"0D".
          02 WS-PROG-RNGPRM-SETTO-HV PIC X    VALUE "N".
          02 WS-DTS-COMMAND-DISP   PIC X(300) VALUE SPACES.
 

Researching this further, it appears the error might have something to do with Net Express 5.

Try putting a null character at the end of WS-DTS-COMMAND. The null character is x'00'.

Sam - I did see references to adding a null character to a command, but I couldn't find any examples of how to do that.

When you pass a command string to the SYSTEM function, it needs to a null-terminated string wrapped in quotes, so here are a couple of suggestions:
1. Change your command string terminator to a null, not a carriage return.
2. You may need to experiment a little with the quotes, and you may find that it's easier to pass the variables to a script, and have the script call dtexec.

You can see an example of calling the SYSTEM function here:

Calling Operating System Commands from COBOL

 

John - You saved me from pulling out the last bit of hair I had left. Changing the carriage return character in my WS file to a null character resolved the problem and my program executes correctly!

Have a beer on me. Make that several.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Well, as someone with, um, "prematurely grey" hair, you're welcome!