Before any other XML statement may be executed, the XML INITIALIZE statement must be successfully executed. Since it is possible for XML INITIALIZE to fail, the return status must be checked before continuing.
The current time, which will become the content of an XML document, is recorded in a COBOL data item. Note that for this example, an elementary data item is used instead of a data item.
Because the name of each file within a directory must be unique, a unique filename is generated using the XML GET UNIQUEID statement. The returned value is combined with other text strings to form a path name using the STRING statement. The current time is placed in the Time-Stamp data item using the ACCEPT FROM TIME statement. The XML EXPORT FILE statement is used to output the data item as an XML document. This sequence is repeated until five XML documents have been placed in the specified directory.
Next, the program goes into a loop polling the specified directory. The XML FIND FILE statement is used. If the return status is XML-IsSuccess, then a file has been found and the program proceeds to process the file. If the return status is XML-IsDirectoryEmpty, then the directory is empty and the program issues a slight delay and then re-issues the XML FIND FILE statement. Any other status indicates an error.
Finally, the XML interface is terminated with the XML TERMINATE statement.
If any of the statements terminate unsuccessfully, the XML GET STATUS-TEXT statement is called.