How to set switches with isCOBOL

A common practice in COBOL programming is to manage switches to change the behavior of the program.
In isCOBOL there are four ways to accomplish this task:

In your configuration file using the "iscobol.switches=" configuration variable

You can pass switches to your program from the configuration file. For instance:
```
   iscobol.switches=1
```
will activate only switch 1,
```
   iscobol.switches=3
```
will activate only switch 3,
```
   iscobol.switches=1,3
```
will activate switchs 1 and 3

The runtime will set these switches when you pass the configuration file in your execution line. For instance:
```
   iscrun -c switch.properties MAIN
```
In the command line using -J-D syntax

The configuration variable in #1 above can also be set in your command line by prefacing the variable with "-J-D". For instance, to run a program called "MAIN";
```
   iscrun -J-Discobol.switches=1 MAIN
```
will activate only switch 1
```
   iscrun -J-Discobol.switches=3 MAIN
```
will activate only switch 3
```
   iscrun -J-Discobol.switches=1,3 MAIN
```
will activate switchs 1 and 3
Setting 'switches' in the environment

Set the envrioment variabile from a system shell. In this case, you would remove the "iscobol." from the variable. For instance, on Windows;
```
   set switches=1
```
will activate only switch 1
```
   set switches=3
```
will activate only switch 3
```
   set switches=1, 3
```
will activate switchs 1 and 3

And in Linux, you would use the export command:
```
   export switches=1
```
will activate only switch 1
```
   export switches=3
```
will activate only switch 1
```
   export switches=1, 3
```
will activate switchs 1 and 3

With the switches set in the environment, you don't need to pass them to the runtime from the command line, so your command line is simply:
```
   iscrun MAIN
```
In your COBOL program using the SET statement

In your program you can write a set statement to turn on a switch.
In the attached sample program, main.cbl, if switch 1 and 3 are on, this statement also sets switch 2 on before calling the CALLED program:
```
   set sw-2 to on
```

If you want to clear the switches at the end of the process, you can set the switches to blank or space. For example:

   set SWITCHES=

Attached to this KB article is a .zip file containing two sample programs and a configuration file that show how to work with switches.
You can use them to test the 4 ways to set switches outlined above.
Unzip the files, and compile them with

   iscc *.cbl

Article ID: 339
Created: July 3, 2023
Last Updated: July 3, 2023
Author: Support KB Author

Online URL: https://support.veryant.com/phpkb/article.php?id=339