Why must the API contract for an extracted COBOL service be finalized before the Transform phase begins?

Think of it like working hands-on with IBM mainframe systems — the answer here is 'Because the wca4z license requires API contracts to be registered with IBM Support before code generation'. The API contract defines method signatures, parameter types, and return types for the generated Java code. Finalizing it before transformation avoids generating code that must be immediately restructu. On real mainframe exams, this concept comes up repeatedly so make sure you have it locked in.