Using VARCHAR2 with Pro*COBOL

What is the best (or at least better) approach for using VARCHAR2 columns in Pro*COBOL programs? We currently have a database with many tables in CHAR format. In doing some preliminary testing with converting those tables to VARCHAR2, we have found that there is about a 25% performance hit with using VARCHAR2 columns. This hit was seen in a read-only program.

I am not a COBOL expert, but I believe we are using standard PIC X(n) COBOL variables to describe the database columns. I assume that the interface between Oracle and COBOL takes care of the padding of the VARCHAR2 variables for COBOL, and this is where the overhead is located.

Will things improve much by using the Pro*COBOL type VARYING when declaring the COBOL variables? If we use VARYING, that means we have to track string length ourselves in COBOL, and COBOL is not very good at dealing with variable length strings. We would always have to keep track of the length variable throughout a program, and that could prove to be difficult.

Any ideas? Is there a good source available (other than the Oracle manuals) on how to use Pro*COBOL effectively?

Thanks,
Brian

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Brian M. Biggs				mailto:bbiggs_at_cincom.com
Cincom Systems, Inc.			voice: (513) 677-7661
http://www.cincom.com/