ARGUMENT-VALUE represents one of COBOL's most sophisticated and essential runtime parameter retrieval mechanisms, serving as the primary interface for accessing individual command-line arguments, runtime parameter values, and dynamic program configuration data that enables applications to receive external input, process startup parameters, and implement flexible program behavior based on execution context and user-provided values. Far more than a simple parameter accessor, ARGUMENT-VALUE embodies COBOL's comprehensive approach to runtime configuration by providing indexed argument retrieval, parameter content extraction, dynamic input processing capabilities, and sophisticated argument parsing techniques that enable applications to implement flexible startup procedures, configurable processing modes, and comprehensive parameter-driven execution strategies while maintaining robust error handling, parameter validation, and enterprise-grade runtime configuration capabilities essential for modern mainframe applications requiring dynamic behavior and flexible operational parameters.
In enterprise computing environments, ARGUMENT-VALUE serves as a critical foundation for dynamic program configuration implementation, enabling developers to create sophisticated parameter-driven applications that handle complex startup requirements, implement configurable processing modes, provide comprehensive runtime customization capabilities, and maintain high-performance argument processing functionality. Its capabilities extend far beyond simple parameter retrieval to encompass sophisticated argument parsing strategies, parameter validation techniques, complex configuration management patterns, and integration with modern deployment paradigms that are essential for applications requiring comprehensive runtime configuration and enterprise-grade parameter management capabilities that support flexible operational modes and advanced configuration-driven processing requirements across multiple execution contexts and sophisticated deployment environments.
ARGUMENT-VALUE is a special COBOL intrinsic function that retrieves the actual content of a specific command-line argument by its position index. This function works in conjunction with ARGUMENT-NUMBER to provide complete command-line processing capabilities, enabling programs to access individual parameter values, validate their content, and use them to control program behavior. Unlike simple parameter passing, ARGUMENT-VALUE provides indexed access to runtime arguments, allowing programs to process parameters in any order and implement sophisticated validation logic.
This capability is essential for creating flexible, user-friendly programs that can adapt their behavior based on runtime parameters. For example, a data processing utility might use ARGUMENT-VALUE to retrieve file names, processing options, output formats, and operational modes from command-line arguments. The function enables programs to build sophisticated command-line interfaces that rival those found in modern applications while maintaining the robustness and reliability expected in enterprise environments.
The basic usage of ARGUMENT-VALUE involves specifying an index number to retrieve the corresponding command-line argument. The function typically uses one-based indexing (though this may vary by compiler), where ARGUMENT-VALUE(1) returns the first argument, ARGUMENT-VALUE(2) returns the second, and so on. This indexed approach enables flexible parameter processing and validation strategies.
1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950515253545556575859*> Basic ARGUMENT-VALUE usage for parameter retrieval IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. ARGUMENT-VALUE-DEMO. DATA DIVISION. WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 01 WS-ARG-COUNT PIC 9(3) VALUE ZERO. 01 WS-INPUT-FILE PIC X(50) VALUE SPACES. 01 WS-OUTPUT-FILE PIC X(50) VALUE SPACES. 01 WS-PROCESSING-MODE PIC X(20) VALUE SPACES. 01 WS-CURRENT-ARG PIC X(100) VALUE SPACES. PROCEDURE DIVISION. MAIN-PROCESSING. *> Get argument count first MOVE FUNCTION ARGUMENT-NUMBER TO WS-ARG-COUNT *> Process arguments based on count IF WS-ARG-COUNT >= 1 MOVE FUNCTION ARGUMENT-VALUE(1) TO WS-INPUT-FILE DISPLAY "Input file: " WS-INPUT-FILE END-IF IF WS-ARG-COUNT >= 2 MOVE FUNCTION ARGUMENT-VALUE(2) TO WS-OUTPUT-FILE DISPLAY "Output file: " WS-OUTPUT-FILE END-IF IF WS-ARG-COUNT >= 3 MOVE FUNCTION ARGUMENT-VALUE(3) TO WS-PROCESSING-MODE DISPLAY "Processing mode: " WS-PROCESSING-MODE END-IF *> Validate required parameters IF WS-INPUT-FILE = SPACES DISPLAY "Error: Input file is required" DISPLAY "Usage: PROGRAM input-file [output-file] [mode]" MOVE 8 TO RETURN-CODE ELSE PERFORM PROCESS-FILES END-IF GOBACK. PROCESS-FILES. DISPLAY "Processing with parameters:" DISPLAY " Input: " WS-INPUT-FILE IF WS-OUTPUT-FILE NOT = SPACES DISPLAY " Output: " WS-OUTPUT-FILE ELSE DISPLAY " Output: (console display)" END-IF IF WS-PROCESSING-MODE NOT = SPACES DISPLAY " Mode: " WS-PROCESSING-MODE ELSE DISPLAY " Mode: (default)" END-IF *> File processing logic here .
This example shows basic argument retrieval and validation using ARGUMENT-VALUE.
Notice how the program first checks ARGUMENT-NUMBER to determine how many arguments are available, then uses ARGUMENT-VALUE to retrieve each argument by its position. This approach prevents runtime errors that could occur from trying to access arguments that weren't provided. The program also implements basic validation to ensure required parameters are present before proceeding with processing.
Advanced parameter parsing combines ARGUMENT-VALUE with sophisticated validation logic to create robust command-line interfaces. This approach enables programs to handle complex parameter patterns, validate argument formats, implement option processing, and provide comprehensive error handling. Such processing is essential for enterprise applications that need to handle diverse operational requirements and provide user-friendly interfaces.
Enterprise applications often require complex parameter validation, including format checking, range validation, file existence verification, and dependency validation. ARGUMENT-VALUE provides the foundation for this validation by enabling programs to access individual parameter values and apply appropriate validation rules based on parameter type, position, and content patterns.
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300301302303304305306307308309310311312313314315*> Advanced parameter parsing with comprehensive validation IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. ADVANCED-PARSER. DATA DIVISION. WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 01 WS-ARG-COUNT PIC 9(3) VALUE ZERO. 01 WS-ARG-INDEX PIC 9(3) VALUE ZERO. 01 WS-CURRENT-ARG PIC X(100) VALUE SPACES. 01 WS-VALIDATION-STATUS PIC X VALUE 'Y'. 01 WS-PARSED-PARAMETERS. 05 WS-INPUT-FILE PIC X(50) VALUE SPACES. 05 WS-OUTPUT-FILE PIC X(50) VALUE SPACES. 05 WS-CONFIG-FILE PIC X(50) VALUE SPACES. 05 WS-LOG-FILE PIC X(50) VALUE SPACES. 05 WS-PROCESSING-DATE PIC X(8) VALUE SPACES. 05 WS-DEPARTMENT-CODE PIC X(5) VALUE SPACES. 01 WS-PROCESSING-OPTIONS. 05 WS-VERBOSE-MODE PIC X VALUE 'N'. 05 WS-DEBUG-MODE PIC X VALUE 'N'. 05 WS-BACKUP-MODE PIC X VALUE 'N'. 05 WS-VALIDATE-ONLY PIC X VALUE 'N'. 05 WS-FORCE-MODE PIC X VALUE 'N'. 05 WS-QUIET-MODE PIC X VALUE 'N'. 01 WS-VALIDATION-RESULTS. 05 WS-FILE-COUNT PIC 9 VALUE ZERO. 05 WS-OPTION-COUNT PIC 9 VALUE ZERO. 05 WS-ERROR-COUNT PIC 9 VALUE ZERO. 05 WS-WARNING-COUNT PIC 9 VALUE ZERO. 01 WS-PARAMETER-TYPES. 05 WS-PARAM-TYPE PIC X(10) VALUE SPACES. 88 FILE-PARAMETER VALUE "FILE". 88 OPTION-PARAMETER VALUE "OPTION". 88 DATE-PARAMETER VALUE "DATE". 88 CODE-PARAMETER VALUE "CODE". PROCEDURE DIVISION. MAIN-PROCESSING. MOVE FUNCTION ARGUMENT-NUMBER TO WS-ARG-COUNT IF WS-ARG-COUNT = 0 PERFORM DISPLAY-COMPREHENSIVE-USAGE MOVE 4 TO RETURN-CODE ELSE PERFORM PARSE-ALL-ARGUMENTS IF WS-VALIDATION-STATUS = 'Y' PERFORM VALIDATE-PARAMETER-COMBINATIONS IF WS-VALIDATION-STATUS = 'Y' PERFORM EXECUTE-VALIDATED-PROCESSING END-IF END-IF END-IF GOBACK. PARSE-ALL-ARGUMENTS. PERFORM VARYING WS-ARG-INDEX FROM 1 BY 1 UNTIL WS-ARG-INDEX > WS-ARG-COUNT OR WS-VALIDATION-STATUS = 'N' MOVE FUNCTION ARGUMENT-VALUE(WS-ARG-INDEX) TO WS-CURRENT-ARG PERFORM CLASSIFY-AND-PROCESS-ARGUMENT END-PERFORM. CLASSIFY-AND-PROCESS-ARGUMENT. *> Determine argument type based on content and position EVALUATE TRUE WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:1) = '-' MOVE "OPTION" TO WS-PARAM-TYPE PERFORM PROCESS-OPTION-PARAMETER WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:1) = '/' MOVE "OPTION" TO WS-PARAM-TYPE PERFORM PROCESS-WINDOWS-OPTION WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG NUMERIC MOVE "DATE" TO WS-PARAM-TYPE PERFORM PROCESS-DATE-PARAMETER WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:3) = "CFG" MOVE "FILE" TO WS-PARAM-TYPE PERFORM PROCESS-CONFIG-FILE WHEN OTHER MOVE "FILE" TO WS-PARAM-TYPE PERFORM PROCESS-FILE-PARAMETER END-EVALUATE. PROCESS-OPTION-PARAMETER. ADD 1 TO WS-OPTION-COUNT EVALUATE WS-CURRENT-ARG WHEN "-v" OR "--verbose" MOVE 'Y' TO WS-VERBOSE-MODE DISPLAY "Verbose mode enabled" WHEN "-d" OR "--debug" MOVE 'Y' TO WS-DEBUG-MODE DISPLAY "Debug mode enabled" WHEN "-b" OR "--backup" MOVE 'Y' TO WS-BACKUP-MODE DISPLAY "Backup mode enabled" WHEN "-q" OR "--quiet" MOVE 'Y' TO WS-QUIET-MODE DISPLAY "Quiet mode enabled" WHEN "-f" OR "--force" MOVE 'Y' TO WS-FORCE-MODE DISPLAY "Force mode enabled" WHEN "--validate-only" MOVE 'Y' TO WS-VALIDATE-ONLY DISPLAY "Validation-only mode enabled" WHEN OTHER *> Check for parameter options with values IF WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:6) = "--log=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(7:) TO WS-LOG-FILE DISPLAY "Log file: " WS-LOG-FILE ELSE IF WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:8) = "--config=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(9:) TO WS-CONFIG-FILE DISPLAY "Config file: " WS-CONFIG-FILE ELSE IF WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:7) = "--dept=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(8:) TO WS-DEPARTMENT-CODE PERFORM VALIDATE-DEPARTMENT-CODE ELSE DISPLAY "Warning: Unknown option " WS-CURRENT-ARG ADD 1 TO WS-WARNING-COUNT END-IF END-EVALUATE. PROCESS-FILE-PARAMETER. ADD 1 TO WS-FILE-COUNT EVALUATE WS-FILE-COUNT WHEN 1 MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG TO WS-INPUT-FILE PERFORM VALIDATE-INPUT-FILE WHEN 2 MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG TO WS-OUTPUT-FILE PERFORM VALIDATE-OUTPUT-FILE WHEN OTHER DISPLAY "Error: Too many file parameters" DISPLAY "Maximum 2 files allowed (input and output)" MOVE 'N' TO WS-VALIDATION-STATUS ADD 1 TO WS-ERROR-COUNT END-EVALUATE. PROCESS-DATE-PARAMETER. MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG TO WS-PROCESSING-DATE PERFORM VALIDATE-DATE-FORMAT. VALIDATE-INPUT-FILE. *> Check file name format and existence IF WS-INPUT-FILE = SPACES DISPLAY "Error: Input file name is empty" MOVE 'N' TO WS-VALIDATION-STATUS ADD 1 TO WS-ERROR-COUNT ELSE *> Check file extension IF WS-INPUT-FILE(LENGTH OF WS-INPUT-FILE - 3:4) NOT = ".txt" AND WS-INPUT-FILE(LENGTH OF WS-INPUT-FILE - 3:4) NOT = ".dat" AND WS-INPUT-FILE(LENGTH OF WS-INPUT-FILE - 3:4) NOT = ".csv" DISPLAY "Warning: Unexpected file extension for input file" ADD 1 TO WS-WARNING-COUNT END-IF DISPLAY "Input file validated: " WS-INPUT-FILE END-IF. VALIDATE-OUTPUT-FILE. *> Validate output file specifications IF WS-OUTPUT-FILE = SPACES DISPLAY "Warning: No output file specified, using console output" ADD 1 TO WS-WARNING-COUNT ELSE *> Check for output directory permissions (simplified) IF WS-OUTPUT-FILE(1:1) = "/" DISPLAY "Output file (absolute path): " WS-OUTPUT-FILE ELSE DISPLAY "Output file (relative path): " WS-OUTPUT-FILE END-IF END-IF. VALIDATE-DATE-FORMAT. *> Validate date format (YYYYMMDD) IF WS-PROCESSING-DATE NUMERIC IF LENGTH OF WS-PROCESSING-DATE = 8 *> Basic date validation IF WS-PROCESSING-DATE(1:4) >= "1900" AND WS-PROCESSING-DATE(1:4) <= "2099" AND WS-PROCESSING-DATE(5:2) >= "01" AND WS-PROCESSING-DATE(5:2) <= "12" AND WS-PROCESSING-DATE(7:2) >= "01" AND WS-PROCESSING-DATE(7:2) <= "31" DISPLAY "Processing date validated: " WS-PROCESSING-DATE ELSE DISPLAY "Error: Invalid date values in " WS-PROCESSING-DATE MOVE 'N' TO WS-VALIDATION-STATUS ADD 1 TO WS-ERROR-COUNT END-IF ELSE DISPLAY "Error: Date must be 8 digits (YYYYMMDD)" MOVE 'N' TO WS-VALIDATION-STATUS ADD 1 TO WS-ERROR-COUNT END-IF ELSE DISPLAY "Error: Date must be numeric (YYYYMMDD)" MOVE 'N' TO WS-VALIDATION-STATUS ADD 1 TO WS-ERROR-COUNT END-IF. VALIDATE-DEPARTMENT-CODE. *> Validate department code format IF WS-DEPARTMENT-CODE = SPACES DISPLAY "Error: Department code cannot be empty" MOVE 'N' TO WS-VALIDATION-STATUS ADD 1 TO WS-ERROR-COUNT ELSE IF LENGTH OF WS-DEPARTMENT-CODE NOT = 5 DISPLAY "Error: Department code must be exactly 5 characters" MOVE 'N' TO WS-VALIDATION-STATUS ADD 1 TO WS-ERROR-COUNT ELSE *> Check for valid department codes EVALUATE WS-DEPARTMENT-CODE WHEN "SALES" OR "MKTNG" OR "FINAC" OR "HRMGR" OR "ITMGR" DISPLAY "Department code validated: " WS-DEPARTMENT-CODE WHEN OTHER DISPLAY "Warning: Unknown department code " WS-DEPARTMENT-CODE ADD 1 TO WS-WARNING-COUNT END-EVALUATE END-IF. VALIDATE-PARAMETER-COMBINATIONS. *> Check for conflicting options IF WS-VERBOSE-MODE = 'Y' AND WS-QUIET-MODE = 'Y' DISPLAY "Error: Verbose and quiet modes are mutually exclusive" MOVE 'N' TO WS-VALIDATION-STATUS ADD 1 TO WS-ERROR-COUNT END-IF *> Check required parameter combinations IF WS-BACKUP-MODE = 'Y' AND WS-OUTPUT-FILE = SPACES DISPLAY "Error: Backup mode requires an output file" MOVE 'N' TO WS-VALIDATION-STATUS ADD 1 TO WS-ERROR-COUNT END-IF *> Validate minimum requirements IF WS-INPUT-FILE = SPACES DISPLAY "Error: Input file is required" MOVE 'N' TO WS-VALIDATION-STATUS ADD 1 TO WS-ERROR-COUNT END-IF. DISPLAY-COMPREHENSIVE-USAGE. DISPLAY "Advanced Parameter Processing Utility" DISPLAY "Usage: PROGRAM input-file [output-file] [options] [date] [dept-code]" DISPLAY "" DISPLAY "Parameters:" DISPLAY " input-file Input data file (.txt, .dat, .csv)" DISPLAY " output-file Output file (optional, defaults to console)" DISPLAY " date Processing date (YYYYMMDD format)" DISPLAY " dept-code Department code (5 characters)" DISPLAY "" DISPLAY "Options:" DISPLAY " -v, --verbose Enable verbose output" DISPLAY " -d, --debug Enable debug mode" DISPLAY " -b, --backup Create backup files" DISPLAY " -q, --quiet Suppress non-error output" DISPLAY " -f, --force Force processing despite warnings" DISPLAY " --validate-only Validate parameters without processing" DISPLAY " --log=FILE Specify log file" DISPLAY " --config=FILE Specify configuration file" DISPLAY " --dept=CODE Specify department code" DISPLAY "" DISPLAY "Examples:" DISPLAY " PROGRAM data.txt" DISPLAY " PROGRAM input.txt output.txt -v" DISPLAY " PROGRAM data.txt --log=process.log 20240315 SALES" DISPLAY " PROGRAM input.txt output.txt -b --dept=FINAC --debug". EXECUTE-VALIDATED-PROCESSING. DISPLAY "Starting processing with validated parameters:" DISPLAY "Files:" DISPLAY " Input: " WS-INPUT-FILE IF WS-OUTPUT-FILE NOT = SPACES DISPLAY " Output: " WS-OUTPUT-FILE END-IF IF WS-CONFIG-FILE NOT = SPACES DISPLAY " Config: " WS-CONFIG-FILE END-IF IF WS-LOG-FILE NOT = SPACES DISPLAY " Log: " WS-LOG-FILE END-IF DISPLAY "Options:" IF WS-VERBOSE-MODE = 'Y' DISPLAY " Verbose mode enabled" END-IF IF WS-DEBUG-MODE = 'Y' DISPLAY " Debug mode enabled" END-IF IF WS-BACKUP-MODE = 'Y' DISPLAY " Backup mode enabled" END-IF IF WS-PROCESSING-DATE NOT = SPACES DISPLAY " Processing date: " WS-PROCESSING-DATE END-IF IF WS-DEPARTMENT-CODE NOT = SPACES DISPLAY " Department: " WS-DEPARTMENT-CODE END-IF DISPLAY "Validation summary:" DISPLAY " Errors: " WS-ERROR-COUNT DISPLAY " Warnings: " WS-WARNING-COUNT *> Actual processing logic would go here .
This example demonstrates comprehensive parameter parsing with advanced validation and option handling.
In enterprise environments, ARGUMENT-VALUE is frequently used in configuration management systems where programs need to handle complex operational parameters, environment-specific settings, and dynamic configuration requirements. This example demonstrates a comprehensive configuration processing utility that uses ARGUMENT-VALUE to implement flexible parameter processing, comprehensive validation, and enterprise-grade configuration management.
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267*> Enterprise configuration management with ARGUMENT-VALUE IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. ENTERPRISE-CONFIG. DATA DIVISION. WORKING-STORAGE SECTION. 01 WS-ARG-COUNT PIC 9(3) VALUE ZERO. 01 WS-CURRENT-ARG PIC X(200) VALUE SPACES. 01 WS-CONFIGURATION-PARAMETERS. 05 WS-ENVIRONMENT PIC X(10) VALUE "PROD". 88 DEVELOPMENT VALUE "DEV". 88 TESTING VALUE "TEST". 88 STAGING VALUE "STAGE". 88 PRODUCTION VALUE "PROD". 05 WS-APPLICATION-ID PIC X(20) VALUE SPACES. 05 WS-INSTANCE-ID PIC X(10) VALUE SPACES. 05 WS-CONFIG-VERSION PIC X(10) VALUE "1.0". 05 WS-DEPLOYMENT-MODE PIC X(15) VALUE "STANDARD". 88 STANDARD-MODE VALUE "STANDARD". 88 CLUSTER-MODE VALUE "CLUSTER". 88 FAILOVER-MODE VALUE "FAILOVER". 88 MAINTENANCE-MODE VALUE "MAINTENANCE". 01 WS-SYSTEM-PARAMETERS. 05 WS-MAX-CONNECTIONS PIC 9(4) VALUE 100. 05 WS-TIMEOUT-SECONDS PIC 9(3) VALUE 30. 05 WS-RETRY-ATTEMPTS PIC 9(2) VALUE 3. 05 WS-BUFFER-SIZE PIC 9(6) VALUE 8192. 05 WS-LOG-LEVEL PIC 9 VALUE 3. 88 LOG-ERROR VALUE 1. 88 LOG-WARNING VALUE 2. 88 LOG-INFO VALUE 3. 88 LOG-DEBUG VALUE 4. 88 LOG-TRACE VALUE 5. 01 WS-SECURITY-PARAMETERS. 05 WS-ENCRYPTION-MODE PIC X(10) VALUE "AES256". 05 WS-AUTH-METHOD PIC X(15) VALUE "LDAP". 05 WS-SESSION-TIMEOUT PIC 9(4) VALUE 1800. 05 WS-AUDIT-ENABLED PIC X VALUE 'Y'. 05 WS-SSL-REQUIRED PIC X VALUE 'Y'. 01 WS-DATABASE-PARAMETERS. 05 WS-DB-HOST PIC X(50) VALUE SPACES. 05 WS-DB-PORT PIC 9(5) VALUE 5432. 05 WS-DB-NAME PIC X(30) VALUE SPACES. 05 WS-DB-SCHEMA PIC X(20) VALUE "PUBLIC". 05 WS-CONNECTION-POOL PIC 9(3) VALUE 10. PROCEDURE DIVISION. MAIN-CONFIGURATION-PROCESSING. PERFORM INITIALIZE-DEFAULT-CONFIGURATION PERFORM PROCESS-CONFIGURATION-ARGUMENTS PERFORM VALIDATE-CONFIGURATION-PARAMETERS PERFORM APPLY-ENVIRONMENT-OVERRIDES PERFORM DISPLAY-FINAL-CONFIGURATION GOBACK. PROCESS-CONFIGURATION-ARGUMENTS. MOVE FUNCTION ARGUMENT-NUMBER TO WS-ARG-COUNT *> Process configuration arguments in flexible order PERFORM VARYING WS-ARG-INDEX FROM 1 BY 1 UNTIL WS-ARG-INDEX > WS-ARG-COUNT MOVE FUNCTION ARGUMENT-VALUE(WS-ARG-INDEX) TO WS-CURRENT-ARG PERFORM PROCESS-CONFIGURATION-PARAMETER END-PERFORM. PROCESS-CONFIGURATION-PARAMETER. *> Parse configuration parameters with flexible syntax EVALUATE TRUE *> Environment specification WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:5) = "--env=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(6:) TO WS-ENVIRONMENT PERFORM VALIDATE-ENVIRONMENT *> Application identification WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:6) = "--app=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(7:) TO WS-APPLICATION-ID PERFORM VALIDATE-APPLICATION-ID *> Instance identification WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:11) = "--instance=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(12:) TO WS-INSTANCE-ID PERFORM VALIDATE-INSTANCE-ID *> Configuration version WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:10) = "--version=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(11:) TO WS-CONFIG-VERSION PERFORM VALIDATE-CONFIG-VERSION *> Deployment mode WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:7) = "--mode=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(8:) TO WS-DEPLOYMENT-MODE PERFORM VALIDATE-DEPLOYMENT-MODE *> System parameters WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:14) = "--max-conn=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(15:) TO WS-MAX-CONNECTIONS PERFORM VALIDATE-MAX-CONNECTIONS WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:11) = "--timeout=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(12:) TO WS-TIMEOUT-SECONDS PERFORM VALIDATE-TIMEOUT WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:9) = "--retry=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(10:) TO WS-RETRY-ATTEMPTS PERFORM VALIDATE-RETRY-ATTEMPTS *> Database parameters WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:10) = "--db-host=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(11:) TO WS-DB-HOST PERFORM VALIDATE-DB-HOST WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:10) = "--db-port=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(11:) TO WS-DB-PORT PERFORM VALIDATE-DB-PORT WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:10) = "--db-name=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(11:) TO WS-DB-NAME PERFORM VALIDATE-DB-NAME *> Security parameters WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:13) = "--encryption=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(14:) TO WS-ENCRYPTION-MODE PERFORM VALIDATE-ENCRYPTION-MODE WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:7) = "--auth=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(8:) TO WS-AUTH-METHOD PERFORM VALIDATE-AUTH-METHOD *> Boolean flags WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG = "--no-audit" MOVE 'N' TO WS-AUDIT-ENABLED WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG = "--no-ssl" MOVE 'N' TO WS-SSL-REQUIRED *> Log level WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG(1:12) = "--log-level=" MOVE WS-CURRENT-ARG(13:) TO WS-LOG-LEVEL PERFORM VALIDATE-LOG-LEVEL *> Help and version WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG = "--help" OR WS-CURRENT-ARG = "-h" PERFORM DISPLAY-CONFIGURATION-HELP WHEN WS-CURRENT-ARG = "--version" OR WS-CURRENT-ARG = "-v" DISPLAY "Enterprise Configuration Manager v2.1.0" WHEN OTHER DISPLAY "Warning: Unknown parameter " WS-CURRENT-ARG END-EVALUATE. VALIDATE-ENVIRONMENT. EVALUATE WS-ENVIRONMENT WHEN "DEV" OR "TEST" OR "STAGE" OR "PROD" DISPLAY "Environment set to: " WS-ENVIRONMENT WHEN OTHER DISPLAY "Error: Invalid environment " WS-ENVIRONMENT DISPLAY "Valid environments: DEV, TEST, STAGE, PROD" MOVE 8 TO RETURN-CODE END-EVALUATE. VALIDATE-APPLICATION-ID. IF WS-APPLICATION-ID = SPACES DISPLAY "Error: Application ID cannot be empty" MOVE 8 TO RETURN-CODE ELSE IF LENGTH OF WS-APPLICATION-ID > 20 DISPLAY "Error: Application ID too long (max 20 characters)" MOVE 8 TO RETURN-CODE ELSE DISPLAY "Application ID: " WS-APPLICATION-ID END-IF. APPLY-ENVIRONMENT-OVERRIDES. *> Apply environment-specific configuration overrides EVALUATE TRUE WHEN DEVELOPMENT MOVE 5 TO WS-LOG-LEVEL MOVE 'N' TO WS-SSL-REQUIRED MOVE 5 TO WS-CONNECTION-POOL DISPLAY "Applied development environment overrides" WHEN TESTING MOVE 4 TO WS-LOG-LEVEL MOVE 'Y' TO WS-AUDIT-ENABLED MOVE 15 TO WS-CONNECTION-POOL DISPLAY "Applied testing environment overrides" WHEN STAGING MOVE 3 TO WS-LOG-LEVEL MOVE 'Y' TO WS-SSL-REQUIRED MOVE 25 TO WS-CONNECTION-POOL DISPLAY "Applied staging environment overrides" WHEN PRODUCTION MOVE 2 TO WS-LOG-LEVEL MOVE 'Y' TO WS-SSL-REQUIRED MOVE 'Y' TO WS-AUDIT-ENABLED MOVE 50 TO WS-CONNECTION-POOL DISPLAY "Applied production environment overrides" END-EVALUATE. DISPLAY-FINAL-CONFIGURATION. DISPLAY "=== Final Configuration ===" DISPLAY "Environment: " WS-ENVIRONMENT DISPLAY "Application: " WS-APPLICATION-ID DISPLAY "Instance: " WS-INSTANCE-ID DISPLAY "Version: " WS-CONFIG-VERSION DISPLAY "Mode: " WS-DEPLOYMENT-MODE DISPLAY "" DISPLAY "System Parameters:" DISPLAY " Max Connections: " WS-MAX-CONNECTIONS DISPLAY " Timeout: " WS-TIMEOUT-SECONDS " seconds" DISPLAY " Retry Attempts: " WS-RETRY-ATTEMPTS DISPLAY " Log Level: " WS-LOG-LEVEL DISPLAY "" DISPLAY "Security Parameters:" DISPLAY " Encryption: " WS-ENCRYPTION-MODE DISPLAY " Authentication: " WS-AUTH-METHOD DISPLAY " SSL Required: " WS-SSL-REQUIRED DISPLAY " Audit Enabled: " WS-AUDIT-ENABLED DISPLAY "" IF WS-DB-HOST NOT = SPACES DISPLAY "Database Parameters:" DISPLAY " Host: " WS-DB-HOST DISPLAY " Port: " WS-DB-PORT DISPLAY " Database: " WS-DB-NAME DISPLAY " Schema: " WS-DB-SCHEMA DISPLAY " Connection Pool: " WS-CONNECTION-POOL END-IF. DISPLAY-CONFIGURATION-HELP. DISPLAY "Enterprise Configuration Manager" DISPLAY "Usage: PROGRAM [options]" DISPLAY "" DISPLAY "Environment Options:" DISPLAY " --env=ENV Environment (DEV|TEST|STAGE|PROD)" DISPLAY " --app=ID Application identifier" DISPLAY " --instance=ID Instance identifier" DISPLAY " --version=VER Configuration version" DISPLAY " --mode=MODE Deployment mode" DISPLAY "" DISPLAY "System Options:" DISPLAY " --max-conn=N Maximum connections" DISPLAY " --timeout=N Timeout in seconds" DISPLAY " --retry=N Retry attempts" DISPLAY " --log-level=N Log level (1-5)" DISPLAY "" DISPLAY "Database Options:" DISPLAY " --db-host=HOST Database host" DISPLAY " --db-port=PORT Database port" DISPLAY " --db-name=NAME Database name" DISPLAY "" DISPLAY "Security Options:" DISPLAY " --encryption=TYPE Encryption method" DISPLAY " --auth=METHOD Authentication method" DISPLAY " --no-ssl Disable SSL" DISPLAY " --no-audit Disable auditing" DISPLAY "" DISPLAY "Examples:" DISPLAY " PROGRAM --env=PROD --app=PAYROLL --instance=01" DISPLAY " PROGRAM --env=DEV --log-level=5 --no-ssl" DISPLAY " PROGRAM --env=PROD --db-host=db.company.com --max-conn=100".
This enterprise example shows sophisticated configuration management using ARGUMENT-VALUE.
ARGUMENT-VALUE typically returns a reference to the actual argument string, making it efficient for parameter processing. However, consider copying argument values to working storage variables if you need to modify or extensively process the parameter content.
For programs that process many arguments, implement efficient parsing strategies that minimize string operations and provide early validation to improve both performance and user experience. Consider using lookup tables for option validation and parameter classification to optimize processing speed.
ARGUMENT-VALUE works closely with ARGUMENT-NUMBER for complete command-line processing, ACCEPT FROM COMMAND-LINE for alternative parameter access,STRING and UNSTRING for parameter parsing, andINSPECT for argument content validation.
Understanding these related features enables comprehensive command-line interface implementation and robust parameter processing in enterprise COBOL applications.