Authority Research Note

COBOL Dynamic CALL: Runtime Dispatch Terminates Provability

A dynamic CALL uses a variable to select a program name at runtime. This prevents deterministic call graph resolution from source artifacts alone. Deterministic guarantees terminate when invocation targets cannot be proven.

What this construct does

Instead of CALL 'PROGNAME', the program executes CALL WS-PROGNAME. The invoked program may vary based on inputs, files, tables, or external state.

Why provability terminates

If the target cannot be enumerated from the artifact set, the call graph cannot be proven complete. A complete call graph is required for deterministic dependency guarantees.

Governance consequence

When dynamic dispatch is present, an authority cannot assert completeness of dependency analysis. Proceeding requires either resolving the target set deterministically or treating the call site as a boundary with restricted guarantees.

Authority boundary statement

Where provability terminates, authority terminates.

Evidence and verification

Legacy Lens records the call site and the rule classification.
Legacy Lens does not guess the runtime target.
Hash-bound evidence shows the boundary without asserting behavior.

Verified authority record

View a verified bundle where dynamic CALL appears: Download authority record (PDF)