Gen concat function on CLIENT_USER_ID or CLIENT_PASSWORD shows incorrect characters

Products

• Gen

Issue/Introduction

In Gen model action diagram if CLIENT_USER_ID or CLIENT_PASSWORD is concatenated directly, rather than via a Local View, the output has strange/corrupt characters inside it.

Code that gives correct results:
SET lcl cics_container client_user_id TO CLIENT_USER_ID  
SET out_vl_cid_frm_concat_concat_lcl basic_types text_opt_80_vl TO concat(concat("!", lcl cics_container client_user_id), "!")

Code that gives incorrect results:
SET out_vl_cid_frm_concat_concat_sys basic_types text_opt_80_vl TO concat(concat("!", CLIENT_USER_ID), "!")

This was behaviour found during testing Gen cooperative COBOL/CICS servers with Web Services GENius and is also observable through the Gen mainframe DTF facility when running within CICS.

Example output:


Analysis of the generated code indicates that the problem is due to extra characters being concatenated beyond the 64 character length of the CLIENT_USER_ID or CLIENT_PASSWORD system attributes.

Environment

Gen COBOL applications.

Resolution

Per the description, there is a viable workaround where the system attribute CLIENT_USER_ID or CLIENT_PASSWORD is first assigned to a view and then the concat function is used on the view instead of directly on the system attribute.
The fix for this problem will be deferred to a later date.