Language Environment
The common run-time support for COBOL, PL/I and C programs on z/OS, which handles storage, errors and messages while they run.
Also written LE, CEE, U4038, CEEOPTS, run-time options
Language Environment, or LE, is the run-time support that COBOL, PL/I and C programs use on z/OS. When your compiled COBOL program runs, LE sets it up, provides the storage it asks for, handles errors, and writes messages when something goes wrong.
LE messages start with CEE, such as CEE3207S. When a program hits a serious error that it does not handle, LE ends it, often with user abend U4038. That code means "LE stopped the program". The real cause, for example an S0C7 data exception, is in the CEE messages and the CEEDUMP report in the job's output.
LE behaviour is controlled by run-time options. A site sets defaults for everyone, and a job can change some of them for one run, for example with a CEEOPTS DD statement. Options can control whether a dump is produced, how much storage is used, and whether subscript errors are reported.
Because the same run-time is shared, programs in different languages can call each other. You rarely need to think about LE until something fails, and then its messages are the most useful part of the output.
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- COBOLThe programming language most business logic on the mainframe is written in. Verbose by design, and still running the world's payments.
- AbendAn abnormal end: a program stopping in an uncontrolled way rather than finishing and reporting a result.
- Load moduleThe runnable form of a program, stored in a library, which JCL executes by name.
- CompileTurning COBOL source code into machine instructions, checking the syntax and producing a listing of any errors.
- DumpA copy of a program's memory taken at the moment it failed, used to find out why.