NETDEFGEN Methods

The NETDEFGEN COPY file contains methods for classes within NameSpaces. These are the program functions for that .NET object. For example:

METHOD, 0, "@TypesTest"
           "unsigned int" @someUint, TYPE 19
           "single" @someFloat, TYPE 4
           "unsigned char" @someByte, TYPE 17
           "double" @someDouble, TYPE 5
           "boolean" @someBool, TYPE 11
            RETURNING "int", TYPE 3

Use the COBOL MODIFY statement to execute a method. The RETURNING value of any field in the parameter list may be updated and returned to the COBOL program. Update fields, IN/OUT, can be identified by types in the 16000 range. For example:

"int" @somefield TYPE 16387

Be aware that the compiler does not always know which method declaration to use when methods are overloaded. In your COBOL program, be sure to use COBOL types that match the COPY file method declaration.

Listed below are some guidelines on passing parameters to methods. Following these guidelines should help you ensure that the correct overloaded definition is compiled.

You can pass character strings as a PIC X...X defined variable or a quoted string literal. For example "This is a quoted string".
You can pass an unsigned integer as a USAGE UNSIGNED-INT defined variable or as a constant. For example, "0", "1", "356", and so on.
You can pass a signed integer as a USAGE SIGNED-INT defined variable or as a constant. For example, "+0", "+1", "+356", "-34", and so on.
You can pass a byte data type as a PIC X COMP-X defined variable.
You can pass a boolean data type as a PIC 9 defined variable that is casted as a boolean type:
```
BOOL-PARAM    PIC 9.
"@methodname" (BOOL-PARAM AS VT_BOOL)
```
or as a constant. For example, 00 = false, 01 = true.
```
"@methodname" (01)
```
Note:
When casting data types is required, you must refer to the ACUCOBOL-GT provided COPY file "activex.def" in the Working-Storage section of your program.
You can pass a signed byte data type as a USAGE SIGNED-INT defined variable and then casted as a signed byte type:
```
SBYTE-PARAM    USAGE SIGNED-INT.
"@methodname" (SBYTE-PARAM AS VT-I1)
```
You can pass a Microsoft date data type as a USAGE DOUBLE defined variable and then casted as a date type:
```
DATE-PARAM    USAGE DOUBLE.
"@methodname" (DATE-PARAM AS VT-DATE)
```

For more examples of these and other forms of .NET method calls, see the sample application "MethodTests" in your Acucorp \sample\dotnet directory.