Enterprise Executive • 2024: EE Issue 5 • Cole Software

For over three decades Cole Software has been supporting senior software engineers who build and maintain complex programs that execute at the lowest levels in the z/OS environment. Our flagship product, z/XDC is used the world over to shorten development cycles, accelerate problem resolution for customers and produce higher quality code.

z/XDC is a suite of products that allow the user to go nearly anywhere/do nearly anything in this extremely complex environment. z/ XDC works code written in Assembler language and IBM XL C, C++, Metal C, SPC and Systems/C.

z/XDC makes IBM’s z/OS-based Assembler, C/C++ and Metal C languages easier to work with and understand. Using z/XDC, programmers can effectively find and fix bugs in programs running in nearly any z/ OS programming environment: authorized or nonauthorized, multitasking or single tasking, batch, TSO, or CICS, system exit or product exit, SVC routine or PC routine.

With z/XDC, you can see your program and its data structures exactly as you originally coded them. If you see a bug, z/XDC makes it easy for you to fix it. If you want to flip a flag or change a gate, no problem. If you want to try out a variation in your program, you can do it. Within the limits of system security, you have complete control of your program and its environment.

It is possible to state z/XDC’s capabilities in a single sentence: “Using z/XDC, a knowledgeable engineer may more easily find and fix bugs in arbitrary object code with in any csect within any module (or compilation unit) running under any Request Block under any Task Control Block (or SRB) in any address space on the system, including much of the internals of the z/OS environment itself.”

z/XDC allows you to interactively debug your programs in real time. You can change code, alter data fields, zap register values, and control your program’s PSW. You can load and delete modules, issue GETMAINs and FREEMAINs, and even post Event Control Blocks. z/XDC provides easy to use but comprehensive support for displaying your control blocks formatted, labeled, and even commented, field by field. In addition, z/XDC provides preformatted maps for over 1300 z/OS system control blocks. z/XDC enables you to work effectively either with raw, disassembled object code or formatted Assembler code displays, complete with statement labels and even your program’s original commentary.

z/XDC consists of the main product, base/ XDC, and additional functionality provided through optional, separately licensed features:

• auth/XDC for debugging authorized programs running in normal and specialized environments • asm/XDC for Assembler Language support

• Base/XDC is the core component of z/XDC. It consists of all the program development support that ColeSoft has spent over 40 years building.

Problem state programs, Task mode code, Programs running with any user level execution keys (key 8, key 9, etc.), Normal environments, Multitasking code and single threaded programs, 24-bit, 31-bit, and 64-bit programs, CICS programs, DB2 programs, and IMS and IDMS programs, TSO and ISPF command processors, Batch programs and started tasks, Problem mode product exits and modifications.

auth/XDC Feature (Optional) auth/XDC is an optional feature that enables the ability to use z/XDC to debug programs running authorized and running in specialized environments.

With auth/XDC, you can debug: APF authorized programs, Supervisor state routines, Programs running with execution keys 0 through 7, Programs running in cross memory environments, SVC routines, PC routines, SRB routines, Programs running under the protection of FRR routines, System exits and modifications

asm/XDC is an optional feature that activates those z/XDC capabilities that are Assembler specific.

With asm/XDC, you can: Load and view symbol maps from Assembler-created SYM data, Load and view source image maps from Assembler-created ADATA, Load and manipulate and view DSECT maps for control blocks and data

c/XDC is an optional feature that activates those z/XDC capabilities that are C, C++, Metal C and Systems/C specific.

With c/XDC, you get: Source Statement Debugging of IBM XL C, C++ and Metal C, STEP command (STEP IN / OUT / OVER), Variable, array, and structure displays with drill-down techniques, Stack Frame displays, any and all, Automatic detection of transitions from Assembler to C language (and back again) for seamless multi-language debugging, Automatic mapping of C modules when detected, C source statements with or without the underlying Assembler intermixed.

base/XDC: base/XDC is the core component of z/XDC and must be licensed. It consists of all the program development support that ColeSoft has spent over 40 years building. base/XDC includes the following built-in elements:

asm/XDC: asm/XDC is an optional feature that activates those z/XDC capabilities that are Assembler specific.

auth/XDC: auth/XDC is an optional feature that enables the ability to use z/XDC to debug programs running authorized and running in specialized environments.

c/XDC: c/XDC is an optional feature that activates those z/XDC capabilities that are C, C++, Metal C and Systems/C specific.