tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12151382050104603772024-03-05T06:23:36.110-05:00It's a COBOL world!A discussion about COBOL, where it has been, where it is, where it is going and where it needs to be.Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-4511881163251185712015-11-24T15:22:00.003-05:002015-11-24T15:26:14.240-05:00<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #365f91;"><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><strong>What's Your Language?</strong></span></span></span><br />
<h1 style="margin: 24pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #365f91;"><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Human nature has a strange way of not letting a person
recognize valuable information or ideas, even when they are right in front
them. Advertisers and sales people are always trying to draw your attention
away from your current interest to the ‘newest’, ‘latest’ or ‘most innovative’
bauble. You and your company have a very valuable corporate asset that’s been
in place for a number of years, silently working in the background to make you
and your company profitable: your COBOL based applications.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now bear with me, I know what you’re thinking… “COBOL??? You
have GOT to be kidding!”. Yes, COBOL. Whether you “speak” Java, C#, RubyOnRails
or any of the other newer languages consider what it is your COBOL applications
have been doing all these years, what you’re looking for in a new or
replacement application (or language) and the estimated costs of replacing
those COBOL applications in terms of both effort and risk. There is significant
value in the applications that have been running your business. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #365f91;"><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Silent Partner<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">COBOL has been a silent partner in your company’s success.
It has been providing information to you day in and day out for too many years
to remember. Yes, it’s old but honestly… so what? It is still doing the job for
which it has been designed for, to process data and provide a competitive
advantage to you. Yes technology has changed and you keep hearing “COBOL can’t
do that”. The truth is it probably can but more on that later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So COBOL has been processing the data it’s
been receiving all these years, analyzing it, generating reports and keeping
the lights on for your organization. The people who designed and maintained the
application(s) may have moved on to other companies, are retired or in worst
case have passed on. Yet the COBOL application they created is still doing its
job and you want to replace it with ‘the shiny new bauble’. Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What does that bauble have that COBOL doesn’t? Is it a new
user interface? Is it the ability to support web services, including JSON and
REST based services? Is it the ability to process XML data or access .NET or
JVM classes and extend your applications reach to these new platforms? Are you
trying to get to a mobile platform? If you answered ‘yes’ to any or all of
these questions then you need to take another look at COBOL. All of the
technologies or techniques mentioned are supported or obtainable from your
current COBOL application. The key is knowledge and being able to research the
capabilities of the language, which is where IBM and Micro Focus come into the
picture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 24pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #365f91;"><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Skills Shortage<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">All the CxOs of your organization, and perhaps you as well,
have heard is “COBOL can’t do that” or “COBOL is dead” or “no one is teaching
COBOL anymore”. Some companies have had advertisements out for COBOL developers
for months and haven’t had a single qualified applicant. They interpret this as
validating the information they’ve been hearing all along, that COBOL is indeed
a dead language. This however is far from reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Two of the largest COBOL vendors in the world, IBM and Micro
Focus each provide a wealth of training scenarios. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From basic language courses to more advanced
topics in integration with the new technologies. The IBM approach is more
mainframe centric and can help you get new developers up to speed and
productive in a short period of time. Micro Focus can also provide training for
the mainframe centric developer but it can also provide training for those
developers working in a distributed environment and looking to access new
technologies such as .NET or JVM frameworks. Additionally Micro Focus has
created an academic alliance with secondary education facilities around the
world to help those institutions teach COBOL.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Rather than trying to hire a ‘COBOL programmer’ why not look
for a developer already familiar with Visual Studio or Eclipse? New developers
coming out of technical school, college, or existing developers looking to make
a change in their career know one or in most cases, both of these development
environments. The biggest obstacle, objection, learning curve to learning COBOL
has been the environment in which it was maintained in. This should no longer
be an issue as both Micro Focus and IBM have adapted the Eclipse environment
and Micro Focus has even extended the development experience to Visual Studio.
Developers already know these IDEs, they know how to manipulate the environment
and are generally already productive in it. So a significant part of the
learning curve has just been eliminated. So what’s left? The language…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #365f91; font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: accent1; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-size: large;">Parlez-vous français?<o:p></o:p></span></span></h3>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">While I do not speak French I can understand the basic
constructs of the language, common phrases and can decipher enough to ask for
help in translating it to English, which is my primary language. I can do the
same for German and Russian. In actuality, anyone of us can do the same. We learn
a primary language and through necessity, want or influence learn additional
languages as we grow in our lives and expand our circle of friends and
co-workers. The same can be said for computer languages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I am a COBOL developer at this point in my career. I didn’t
start out that way, but I learned it. The very first language I learned was
Pascal. I then went on to Visual Basic, COBOL, JCL, SQL, SAS, CICS, REXX,
Windows Scripts, VB.NET and finally C#. I am more fluent in computer languages
than I am in spoken languages. What is the difference in all of these
languages? Syntax. As a developer I know and understand how to formulate a
series of expressions into a comprehensive set of instructions that instruct
the computer to perform a series of tasks to complete a unit of work.
Regardless of the language, the underlying logic flow is very similar in all
circumstances. HOW I choose to implement the requirements is based on the
environment in which I am running in. I may be coding a series of expressions
in C# in the morning and a different set of expressions in the afternoon in
COBOL. The language used is determined by the environment being employed and
the requirements of the request. One constant though in all of the languages
noted above is Visual Studio. I use Visual Studio for all my coding. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Any developer in the workforce today knows at a minimum
three programming languages. These are dependent on the environment they are
working in, but at a minimum, three languages. They can switch between these
languages with ease (ok, you may have to stop a second to think about the
syntax) and complete tasks quickly and efficiently. Why can you not add COBOL
to that mix? You already know your development environment. You already are
multilingual. You can adapt to the requirements of the request. You can learn
COBOL and you can become a more strategic resource to your organization while
expanding your career into areas never dreamed of. COBOL truly does run the
world of business and you can help integrate it with the new technologies
available.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 24pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #365f91;"><span style="font-family: "cambria";">COBOL: No longer a silent partner<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">COBOL has come a long way with new syntax, new interfaces,
new techniques that could enable your application to take a drastic step
forward. Instead of trying to replace COBOL, why not work alongside it to
achieve rapid, stable results for you and your company? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You didn’t know the languages you are working with today, you
learned them through spending time and writing code. Spend some time and write
some COBOL code in Visual Studio or Eclipse. You’ll see you can do it and you
may even say it wasn’t that bad.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Happy COBOL Coding!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
RSM50http://www.blogger.com/profile/07600530542083941428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-42955849647501737172014-09-11T15:55:00.000-04:002014-09-11T15:55:33.756-04:00Want to Learn O O?<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6hHwa40ifY9tdTRuB7RfF4WJzYvAZUoIyXx_k5KjSCwsgU9X0ht3IUZz4sGVVWDZHS_bvuoz6QrlCPRHGx5myNobtWzZMvx8ZpVMSXn58vJtY5u-KDKc-crQyC34jY5_L3d6CEAcd0Q/s1600/mustang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6hHwa40ifY9tdTRuB7RfF4WJzYvAZUoIyXx_k5KjSCwsgU9X0ht3IUZz4sGVVWDZHS_bvuoz6QrlCPRHGx5myNobtWzZMvx8ZpVMSXn58vJtY5u-KDKc-crQyC34jY5_L3d6CEAcd0Q/s1600/mustang.jpg" /></a></div>
Yeah, I know....<br />
<br />
I've been quite for some time. It's like I went out for a ride and never came back. Well it is a 600 hp Mustang after all... :)<br />
<br />
Short answer is that my job changed and I've just not had time to do much with the blog. I'll try to do better.<br />
<br />
To get started, what better way to jump back in by offering free training? Well, I'm not actually doing it but...<br />
<br />
Micro Focus is starting up a new series of training sessions for those that are interested on the ins and outs of Object Oriented COBOL. <a href="http://bit.ly/1osOvL9" target="_blank">You can register for the seminar by visiting this website location.</a><br />
<br />
From the description of the sessions, it should go a long way in helping you to start taking advantage of the OO support in the Micro Focus Visual COBOL product. And I'm thinking the concepts should translate to the other tools out there that support OO syntax as well. You'll just have to deal with syntax differences between each vendor's implementation I'm thinking.<br />
<br />
That's all for now. <br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
<br />
Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-48988927515364130062013-05-20T16:50:00.001-04:002013-05-20T16:50:55.551-04:00COBOL Developer Days in Chicago and Atlanta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92wpkBHfHw7wBccqBup9zjPzoXYFPhbJK0o8WfZ8NtU0Mskr9_2Zrsm387feArZiuy_jhYCH0m_sQKImGqZpu833l6HOyjAfzPouPBAM2CzXoZjBlC2FobgOEzXHV38fiX_dG8iOxpws/s1600/latest_news.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92wpkBHfHw7wBccqBup9zjPzoXYFPhbJK0o8WfZ8NtU0Mskr9_2Zrsm387feArZiuy_jhYCH0m_sQKImGqZpu833l6HOyjAfzPouPBAM2CzXoZjBlC2FobgOEzXHV38fiX_dG8iOxpws/s1600/latest_news.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;">Hey folks,</span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;">Just a quick update...</span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;">Micro Focus is holding a free one-day technical workshop this June that you might want to attend. The workshop was created for the COBOL developer wanting to learn more about the next generation of the COBOL language when used with Micro Focus Visual COBOL.</span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;">It is being held twice, once in Atlanta Georgia at the JW Marriott in Buckhead on <strong>June 18th</strong> and again in Oak Brook (just outside of Chicago) at the Chicago Oak Brook Marriot on <strong>June 20th</strong>.</span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://bit.ly/14K7msq" target="_blank">Click here to register</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;">Thanks!</span><br />
<span style="color: #585858; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-56427891866532235622012-12-11T09:40:00.001-05:002012-12-11T09:40:16.404-05:00Free Mainframe COBOL Developer IDE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8stsB7BAeAnwCtz4iIeAoug8aNOusiy233f8JswgKeseSDXfYgQourmKg_8Ydetl_J8Tq7SF8Bz8EV3jECvn_sLI5AjM7-C9Bjrn1v8b_86uQ_RYQKmH35BnwpVjsVT4HqD7w_VXPeVA/s1600/sun+shine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8stsB7BAeAnwCtz4iIeAoug8aNOusiy233f8JswgKeseSDXfYgQourmKg_8Ydetl_J8Tq7SF8Bz8EV3jECvn_sLI5AjM7-C9Bjrn1v8b_86uQ_RYQKmH35BnwpVjsVT4HqD7w_VXPeVA/s320/sun+shine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
If you are currently logging onto a mainframe to do COBOL application development, you now have access to a free graphical editor. Visit <a href="http://online.microfocus.com/Enterprise-Developer-PE">http://online.microfocus.com/Enterprise-Developer-PE</a> and download your own copy of Micro Focus Enterprise Developer for <strong><em><u>free!</u></em></strong><br />
<br />
It works with either Eclipse or Visual Studio and is 100% free. Use it at work or take it home. It beats the heck out of logging onto TSO and won't require you to go get a purchase request approved by the bean counters. <br />
<br />
For those of us who are a bit thrifty (you know who you are), it could also make a great Christmas gift for your cubicle mate! Then they can't say you never got them anything. *grin*Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-67018396272165540162012-10-26T10:12:00.001-04:002012-10-26T10:12:30.499-04:00COBOL is Trending UP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6d9sJgOX8iyQjIOiDmXD1J80ymphsvhQ8md9_6jGzyOUNcIZEQbQX0jrpGCSZmBuGH6DbqVHgI-udE_ZwDcgWr6J9c_g2-7A8gKZePkHIxJHC5i1O-MQcU9DKZuqzMUeoM5efpI6e_k/s1600/1954-mountain-clouds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6d9sJgOX8iyQjIOiDmXD1J80ymphsvhQ8md9_6jGzyOUNcIZEQbQX0jrpGCSZmBuGH6DbqVHgI-udE_ZwDcgWr6J9c_g2-7A8gKZePkHIxJHC5i1O-MQcU9DKZuqzMUeoM5efpI6e_k/s320/1954-mountain-clouds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As we all know, COBOL has been announced "dead" or "dying" multiple times over the years. And for many shops it has left the building as the applications written in this language have been replaced with packages such as SAP and PeopleSoft.<br />
<br />
What you may not know is that COBOL has recently climbed from the bottom end of the <a href="http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html" target="_blank">Tiobe Programming Community Index</a> to a healthy 26th spot on the chart. <br />
<br />
How high will it climb?<br />
Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-27259947224253294812012-04-23T16:25:00.000-04:002012-04-23T16:25:37.948-04:00COBOL TodayWhere else is COBOL being used?<br />
<br />
When I get asked this, my first impression is that the person asking feels all alone in their use of the language, almost ashamed, believe it or not. <br />
<br />
The media, tool /software vendors, consultants, and even college professors have made the statements telling us all how COBOL is the "old" and we should be doing the "new". They've done a good job promoting the fact that if you are using the new gadget then you must be missing out.<br />
<br />
My answer to them is always the same. COBOL is an ever advancing language and is as current and modern as anything else out in the market. COBOL is in use every day in literally thousands of companies.<br />
<br />
But the number is shrinking.<br />
<br />
And I believe it is because of this perception that "we must be all alone".<br />
<br />
Well, I've got news for everyone... COBOL is still alive and kicking.<br />
<br />
The problem is that no one is waving a flag saying "We use COBOL".<br />
<br />
Yes, usage is down. The numbers will continue to shrink until reaching an equilibrium or point of balance. <br />
<br />
Here's why - Back when COBOL took the stage, there were only so many options available to a company. Nowadays, there are literally hundreds if not thousands of ways to create and deploy a business application. <br />
<br />
How many companies will be using COBOL in 5 or 10 years? Idunno. <br />
<br />
I think a very scientific number will be "a bunch of them". Not as many as there were, but enough to be significant.<br />
<br />
Today thousands of software companies, banks, insurance companies, manufacturers, and credit card processing companies are spending millions of dollars on their COBOL applications. And they will continue to do so.<br />
<br />
As for those of us who write COBOL applications and are trying to figure out what they should focus on for the future, my advice is simple: <br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Learn a framework like .NET and become somewhat language independent. Learn as much as you can about how to leverage things like .NET and other technologies that are used within your shop. And use your expertise with COBOL to become the expert at briding that gap. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAps0_lcGAUX_KhqY5sC-KCydiqQe_NkutyNVTJ8X9MnnmXlRBPggev5CCg1WA9GD7C96Lpkvz19rbRqgOuVkYCG1R7GPvPdjBn6BjYmi8_RBcRStfu191qA7rvWAZK5CGWRa8DqdWL0/s1600/WP_000001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAps0_lcGAUX_KhqY5sC-KCydiqQe_NkutyNVTJ8X9MnnmXlRBPggev5CCg1WA9GD7C96Lpkvz19rbRqgOuVkYCG1R7GPvPdjBn6BjYmi8_RBcRStfu191qA7rvWAZK5CGWRa8DqdWL0/s320/WP_000001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My buddy Doby!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Learn some new tricks!<br />
<br />Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-83709380401389796622012-02-29T18:21:00.001-05:002012-02-29T18:21:38.149-05:00COBOL Developer Conference. Ya'll Come!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvO6XcAmDFWZKOQZR4Q2cXXr13JXaToDAW6_2TmvrBGpukyF38mnTokeKiqPu_jn4jv00GUVePij7038gB7r68wW55vEW7zlV08MhF24mHMR3HZp3Ge2atqVxPOnU-5gIcaNAr7n5yWc/s1600/MF-2012-Develpr-Conf-Reg-banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvO6XcAmDFWZKOQZR4Q2cXXr13JXaToDAW6_2TmvrBGpukyF38mnTokeKiqPu_jn4jv00GUVePij7038gB7r68wW55vEW7zlV08MhF24mHMR3HZp3Ge2atqVxPOnU-5gIcaNAr7n5yWc/s640/MF-2012-Develpr-Conf-Reg-banner.jpg" width="640" yda="true" /></a></div>
If you or your company has an investment in COBOL, you need to be in Dallas in April for the 2012 Micro Focus Developer Conference. Micro Focus will be hosting this event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Dallas Texas. Registration starts at 5:00 p.m. April 16th with sessions running the 17th and 18th all day.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRHqsO7YDbei1y0oF0Bhk2fU6vFvaTqbBEJa9reI41btUi-q6bY1s1O15kTvyP7Wisu2Bclux7I4r_A2kHLd6El4_1G7V_KTsA-lYIxPTrFF9Q_lMB54qQRhIj6rsSV5CLb7hRCtbFcE/s1600/question.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRHqsO7YDbei1y0oF0Bhk2fU6vFvaTqbBEJa9reI41btUi-q6bY1s1O15kTvyP7Wisu2Bclux7I4r_A2kHLd6El4_1G7V_KTsA-lYIxPTrFF9Q_lMB54qQRhIj6rsSV5CLb7hRCtbFcE/s1600/question.png" yda="true" /></a></div>
Want to know where COBOL is headed? Trying to figure out how to take advantage of the years of application code that run the business? Can you take COBOL to the Cloud? <br />
<br />
All good questions. And this is the place to find out. Best of all, admission is free!<br />
<br />
To learn more, <a href="http://bit.ly/zTj5GX" target="_blank">visit the registration site by clicking here!</a>Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-89850979864325572022011-12-14T15:18:00.002-05:002016-12-12T14:41:50.909-05:00Visual COBOL Now Supports Dialog System ApplicationsOnce upon a time, Micro Focus introduced a slick little piece of technology known as Dialog System. Its purpose in life was to allow the COBOL developer the ability to build nice looking user interfaces. In its day, there was nothing better. Thousands of applications were built using the tooling and everyone was happy.<br />
<br />
Then along comes .NET and what was once "leading edge" soon became somewhat obsolete. But those that build applications using Dialog System were left hanging. <br />
<br />
What do you do with these applications? <br />
<br />
If you are the application owner, reworking them as WinForms or Web Forms was a manual effort at best. If you are the CIO, having your team completely rewrite these applications just because you wanted a slicker UI was often more work than could be justified. And Micro Focus hasn't had much of an answer for converting these applications either. <br />
<br />
That is up until now...<br />
<br />
With the latest release of Visual COBOL R4 Update 2, Micro Focus is providing tooling to allow you to continue to work with your Dialog System applications or begin the process of converting them to something else.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEk7MAMaZq1-wyd8mLgOW4pEf4OCGsCfZqt688JX4ZajZIb2iEsHbR7pi_-L-gyc0UqisnDNIT9Kdg1zCo5eIOa6J_YDU-yDU1ifbFX6HzyowvEGNN4y68wTLYksovC9C0cTxCV301Xw/s1600/Dialog+System+and+Visual+COBOL.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEk7MAMaZq1-wyd8mLgOW4pEf4OCGsCfZqt688JX4ZajZIb2iEsHbR7pi_-L-gyc0UqisnDNIT9Kdg1zCo5eIOa6J_YDU-yDU1ifbFX6HzyowvEGNN4y68wTLYksovC9C0cTxCV301Xw/s320/Dialog+System+and+Visual+COBOL.png" width="273" /></a></div>
Yes, its true! You can either keep them "as is" and continue to support them or you can begin to modernize your user interfaces as it makes sense. With this new release, there is no longer a need for an "all or nothing" approach. You can either start taking advantage of .NET elements within the existing Dialog System application interface or you can begin moving completely out of Dialog System.<br />
<br />
For instance, you want to introduce WPF into your Dialog System application? Go for it. You want to drop a .NET grid control into you interface? Not a problem. <br />
<br />
So, if your shop has an application written using Micro Focus Dialog System screens, you now have options.<br />
<br />
For more information, <a href="http://documentation.microfocus.com/help/topic/com.microfocus.eclipse.infocenter.visualcobol.vs2013/GUID-8CCE7100-0FAD-411E-8F70-74E25C343562.html?resultof=%22%64%69%61%6c%6f%67%22%20%22%73%79%73%74%65%6d%73%22%20" target="_blank">check out the online docs here</a><br />
<br />
Enjoy!Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-70965877914537163252011-08-11T22:45:00.000-04:002011-08-11T22:45:44.696-04:00Object Oriented COBOL Fundamentals<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZI8k7QV_qmfXn695XKTDEOjC5mkmjEwpxjs0ryFJ6OzYe0bT2EAj17aNsromrsxB9zAwVc9Uy6l4dqoZIpLQd9acNHD77SfCyvodCwyarPjxt7WoBaCyY4wpseN_PFqp5b9TBWtLZ2c/s1600/red_apple-560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZI8k7QV_qmfXn695XKTDEOjC5mkmjEwpxjs0ryFJ6OzYe0bT2EAj17aNsromrsxB9zAwVc9Uy6l4dqoZIpLQd9acNHD77SfCyvodCwyarPjxt7WoBaCyY4wpseN_PFqp5b9TBWtLZ2c/s200/red_apple-560.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Hey folks!<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><br />
Trying to figure out how to transition from procedural COBOL to object oriented COBOL.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>It's nowhere near as hard as folks make it out to be.<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span>For those new to the site, check out some of the older posts for examples, etc.<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span>Additionally, there are some really good recordings out on the Micro Focus Community site (<a href="http://community.microfocus.com/">http://community.microfocus.com/</a>) that cover the basics of writing object oriented COBOL.<br />
<br />
Check out <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3czefpm">http://tinyurl.com/3czefpm</a> for the first video in the series.<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span>You'll need to register for the site to see the video (don't sweat it...membership is free *smile*)<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span>If you need a copy of Visual COBOL to try some of this out, you can download an eval copy at <a href="http://visualcobol.microfocus.com/">http://visualcobol.microfocus.com/</a><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span>Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-77391761248624358122011-07-20T09:43:00.001-04:002011-07-20T09:43:44.915-04:00COBOL Gets Noticed!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmw98_hMc2hptNXypoqBGl8KP6E8mVIJ2Po89fyMk519iwpVdPGcR3X1HKS46lM6Vx8YHcvaCROJ_CxbxsCbyy1stntYBplgCXrGEZtkS0kJ33GHeJss1p2wUm9EOKNn9i25Mwqds8UY/s1600/oscar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmw98_hMc2hptNXypoqBGl8KP6E8mVIJ2Po89fyMk519iwpVdPGcR3X1HKS46lM6Vx8YHcvaCROJ_CxbxsCbyy1stntYBplgCXrGEZtkS0kJ33GHeJss1p2wUm9EOKNn9i25Mwqds8UY/s200/oscar.jpg" t$="true" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> ©A.M.P.A.S.®</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.microfocus.com/aboutmicrofocus/pressroom/releases/pr20110713163429.asp">Micro Focus earns Microsoft Technology Partner of the Year Award for Visual COBOL.</a><br />
<br />
Now that is a headline. *smile*<br />
<br />
Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-2916920938982602012011-06-12T11:16:00.000-04:002011-06-12T11:16:18.348-04:00The COBOL Challenge <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rlv.zcache.com/im_gonna_make_you_an_offer_you_cant_refuse_bumper_sticker-p128494521876306138trl0_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/im_gonna_make_you_an_offer_you_cant_refuse_bumper_sticker-p128494521876306138trl0_400.jpg" t8="true" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Buy this T-Shirt at Zazzle.com)</td></tr>
</tbody></table> What if I could show you how to take advantage of the COBOL you have today? <br />
<br />
Regardless of whether you still have COBOL developers or not. I'm talking about me showing you how to take advantage of your COBOL even if you have long since decided to move away from COBOL and have moved on to .Net or Java.<br />
<br />
If I give you free software, free training, and free international publicity, would you be interested in finding out if the COBOL still has value for your company? <br />
<br />
"Tell us more Robert!", you say with open curiousity. (at least that is how the voices sound in my head)<br />
<br />
I'm willing to offer up arranging for you to get temporary licenses of Micro Focus Visual COBOL, some training on the product, and maybe even some help doing the work, if you'll let me tell the world about it. You and your company can remain anonymous if need be, but I want the story...<br />
<br />
COBOL is still the right tool for the job and I want to prove it to you.<br />
<br />
I'm especially interested in working with someone in Georgia or Florida (where I spend my time nowadays), but will make this open to one and all.<br />
<br />
Let's get creative! <br />
<br />
Want to find out if you can mix C# with existing COBOL? <br />
<br />
Want to transform traditional procedural COBOL into a bunch of objects? <br />
<br />
Want to see if you can deploy COBOL to your JVM? Or try to tie your customer portal to your backend COBOL application? I'm game.<br />
<br />
If you are interested, send me a note to robert.collins-at-microfocus.com<br />
<br />
COBOL is more relevant today than it has ever been. And I can prove it.Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-42494997456151378512011-06-08T19:23:00.000-04:002011-06-08T19:23:31.915-04:00Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Tools?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cards2clients.com/pages/images/BigWheels_000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="http://www.cards2clients.com/pages/images/BigWheels_000.jpg" t8="true" width="200" /></a></div>I've posted a similar questions in the past. Once I asked my readers "who has learned something new about COBOL recently?". Very few people were able to raise their hand. <br />
<br />
The reality is that most people learn how to do something one way and continue to do it that way from then on. And in many areas of life, this makes sense. No need to reinvent the wheel. <br />
<br />
Hence my question in the title: Are you getting the most out of your tools? <br />
<br />
The tools have advanced, the COBOL language has advanced, but have your developers?<br />
<br />
I met with a company today who uses Micro Focus Net Express, the pre-cursor to Visual COBOL. After just a few minutes of conversation, I was able to point out some features in the tools they already own that may save their development team significant time and aggrevation. <br />
<br />
I offered to have Jim, my code slinging partner in crime, come by and take a look at what they do and how they are doing it. I did this with the idea that maybe we can show them a thing or two about using Net Express which could make life easier.<br />
<br />
It might be worth revisiting what you can do with the COBOL of today. Thanks to tools like Visual COBOL I think you may find some extra money in the bottom of the box the tools came in. I'm just sayin...Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-77083058644232856812011-06-07T00:15:00.000-04:002011-06-07T00:15:35.067-04:00Why Build a Reference Environment?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chequeredflagstables.com.au/Graphics/carsales/car_for_sale_porsche_930_1978_4_speed_manual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.chequeredflagstables.com.au/Graphics/carsales/car_for_sale_porsche_930_1978_4_speed_manual.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div>If you are selling cars, it is as simple as "why don't we take her out for a spin?" to show off the car. When talking about changing the way things will work, it's not that simple. Folks don't just want to see a simple demo. Oh, they do expect you to make it look simple, but what you focus on can't be the easy stuff. <br />
<br />
For instance, its simple to demonstrate executing a COBOL program via a CICS transaction. That's core to what our company does. But when a customer wants to see things like "interfacing with a scheduler" and "managing our printers" and "how will operators will manage the platform", you have to have something a bit more robust. Otherwise you end up doing endless proof of concept (POC) projects to move things along.<br />
<br />
A reference environment lets you demonstrate how the end result will look without having to say "I'll get back to you" or "there are a number of ways that might work". It allows your customer to focus on the "how do I take advantage of this?" versus "will it work?". Think of it as a pre-fab POC you can use over and over. <br />
<br />
Its why I've been building one for the last few months...(<a href="http://www.microfocus.com/aboutmicrofocus/pressroom/releases/pr20110412897961.asp">read more here</a>). Keep this in mind when you try to sell the boss on the idea of turning that COBOL application into the next killer app based on web services and the .NET framework. He'll be more inclined to consider it if you have an example.Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-76755201141051971212011-05-30T11:15:00.000-04:002011-05-30T11:15:40.097-04:00COBOL and the CIOLast week I had the opportunity to attend a CIO Forum here in Atlanta. Two topics seemed to be at the top of everyone's list: cutting costs and mobile devices. <br />
<br />
On the cutting costs topic, almost every CIO there had a story to tell about how they were surviving in this economy. They were doing it by reducing their costs so that they could survive on the same or smaller budgets than they had last year and the year before. And they were expected to provide more value to the business than ever before. Do more with less seems to be the mantra of the day.<br />
<br />
On the mobility issue, again most of the attendees talked about how they were being pushed to provide accessibility to their corporate systems by their users/business groups for smartphones and notepad-type devices. More and more people are plugging their own hardware into their corporate networks and expecting them to not only work, but be supported and leveraged. As you can imagine, this is causing quite a bit of work for some and creating unique opportunities for others.<br />
<br />
I have some good news for them.<br />
<br />
Sounds like a job for COBOL! (this is a blog about COBOL after all *smile*).<br />
<br />
To help with cutting costs... why not reuse the business logic that has been captured in the COBOL code and repurpose it? Turn those old routines into components/services and redeploy them. Put together a new UI, combining new features with existing processes. It is relatively easy to do using tools like those from Micro Focus (I'm sure the other COBOL tool vendors have comparable solutions too). Either way, reuse the existing code! No need for those costly "green field" development projects.<br />
<br />
One of the large insurance customers that is on your side recently did just this. They took an old application that was written in COBOL, cut out the screen section logic, restructured the business logic as methods and classes and intermixed these routines with C# and a new Winform interface. Within a 90 day period, they were able to do more work with a team of 5 or 6 than an entire dev team of 20+ was able to accomplish in 2 years. Reusing existing application source saved them millions.<br />
<br />
To help with the challenge presented by all of these new mobile devices, again, use your COBOL assets and provide your users new ways to access the information they need. Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about.<br />
<br />
While at the forum, I had the pleasure to speak with a fellow from a university down in Columbus Georgia. He walked me through how they were providing their students smartphone apps which interfaced with their back-end applications (yes they were COBOL). They could access their account details on their phones, their Ipads, on the college computers, etc. For the IT team, it was nothing short of brilliant. For the students, their reaction? *Shrug* They thought this was how it was supposed to work in the first place. Go figure *grin*.<br />
<br />
So, my message is this. Companies are starting to figure it out. COBOL is relevant in today's environment. How are you making it relevant in your business?Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-48933410307379287242011-05-24T21:59:00.000-04:002011-05-24T21:59:29.680-04:00COBOL Didn't Blink...The Development Environment Did <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/q/2/y/l/M/d/black-eye-smiley-hi.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/q/2/y/l/M/d/black-eye-smiley-hi.png" t8="true" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Why does COBOL wear the black eye that it has been proudly wearing since the 70's? <br />
<br />
It is because the most common development environment people associate with COBOL is the green screen ISPF mainframe editor. Yuck! It is still what many COBOL developers use today. <br />
<br />
Micro Focus did make in-roads into many companies during the past 30 years, but the majority of COBOL developers are still stuck on character-based interfaces developing application code.<br />
<br />
No one really wants to use those tools. Go figure. Who'd want to pet an ugly dog? Not me. *smile*<br />
<br />
I personally believe this is the reason that COBOL fell out of favor with the "up and coming" development world that has evolved during the last couple of decades.<br />
<br />
The good news is there are options which allow companies to bring all of that application source forward into the same world C# and Java developers live in. <br />
<br />
<ul><li>COBOL that runs on the mainframe? Duh.</li>
<li>COBOL and C# in the same application? Sure thing. </li>
<li>COBOL and Java living together in perfect harmony? Yep. </li>
<li>COBOL and VB.NET side by side? Why not? </li>
<li>COBOL as managed source (.NET or JVM)? But of course.</li>
<li>COBOL in the Cloud (Azure, Amazon, etc) Yes it runs in the Cloud!</li>
</ul>(COBOL is the only language that does all of these things. I bet you can't prove me wrong.)<br />
<br />
Today you have options. Developers can use a single IDE such as Visual Studio or Eclipse and do what needs to be done. Today's developers are no longer tied to a specific language. They can use what makes sense for the task at hand, mixing a bit of the old and new with no issues. <br />
<br />
It isn't the language that caused the blip in usage, it was the development environment.<br />
<br />
Good news is that this has changed with Visual COBOL. I believe COBOL will be the language of the decade for companies looking for flexibility. Hide and watch.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_FrodtRDVHgQ1Hecys-5wRA9dGJbd4r_deTPa6rwQ-su8q4DnQIwkZywTGY4gwEuPf-Kg8nAIIcKYj2PseEyoRBWaDmh4_DebAUUBTlWfsbSdjJB1VsZ64L3aPKrookRojKaJMTQwKA/s1600/39229_458101210711_654465711_6217269_5600637_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_FrodtRDVHgQ1Hecys-5wRA9dGJbd4r_deTPa6rwQ-su8q4DnQIwkZywTGY4gwEuPf-Kg8nAIIcKYj2PseEyoRBWaDmh4_DebAUUBTlWfsbSdjJB1VsZ64L3aPKrookRojKaJMTQwKA/s200/39229_458101210711_654465711_6217269_5600637_n.jpg" t8="true" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is why I don't take them to Walmart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-65208417606785330562011-05-05T09:28:00.000-04:002011-05-05T09:28:10.954-04:00More Performance!I was just informed that the upcoming webinar on May 11th being hosted by Micro Focus will be focused on COBOL and performance. And that Alex Turner will be doing the session.<br />
<br />
Set your VCR's to record!!!! (ok, truthfully... how many of you still have VCR's? Show of hands. Uh huh. That's what I figured. And they still all blink 12:00 a.m. don't they? *grin*).<br />
<br />
To sign up for the session, <a href="http://visualcobol.microfocus.com/event/visual-cobol-discovery-series-webinar-3-tech-demo/">click here</a>.<br />
<br />
May 11th is also my mother's birthday. Happy B-day Ma!!!! <br />
<br />
I got you a cake!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bentti.org/BirthdayCake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://bentti.org/BirthdayCake.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-76481702330570246822011-03-25T11:26:00.001-04:002011-03-25T11:26:56.939-04:00COBOL and Speed: A perfect combinationI've been asked a few times in the past if I had any suggestions for "best practices" or "how to write the fastest code possible" when coding COBOL. And I'm almost always stumped for an answer that is beyond one or two sentences.<br />
<br />
Well, I'm now in luck.<br />
<br />
One of the developers at Micro Focus has posted an article on the community website (<a href="http://community.microfocus.com">http://community.microfocus.com</a>) which covers this very topic.<br />
<br />
You can find the article at <a href="http://community.microfocus.com/library/articles/84_Coding_for_speed_size_and_portability">http://community.microfocus.com/library/articles/84_Coding_for_speed_size_and_portability</a><br />
<br />
In his article, you'll find some pretty good tidbits which will have your code screaming along in record fashion in no time.<br />
<br />
Which brings a question to mind...<br />
<br />
How often do you review your application source to see if you can make it better? Once in awhile? Never? Only when it breaks?<br />
<br />
I once had a programmer who worked for me dig into a rather complex piece of long running code (sometimes upwards of 20 hours). He was able to rewrite the routine and reduce the clock time to less than three minutes on average. No I didn't write it originally *smile*. But it goes to show you that you shouldn't overlook doing a review of the source once in awhile to see if there is a better way to do things now that you are older and wiser.<br />
<br />
Just a thought!<br />
<br />
See ya.Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-36899089033680613012011-03-14T20:10:00.000-04:002011-03-14T20:10:28.819-04:00Datagrids, ADO.Net and Cobol<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://tonsoftime.com/images/focus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="http://tonsoftime.com/images/focus.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The last few months have had me focused on an internal project which involves multiple pieces, some of which are Micro Focus products, while others are from partners such as HP, LRS, Syncsort, Microsoft and CA.<br />
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And as such, I haven't had much time to dig into using my new favorite tool, Visual COBOL. That's left me sad *smile*. To fix this, I spent part of my weekend writing code. It sure beat raking leaves! (Ummm... I'll get to it next weekend I promise dear).<br />
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One of the things I figured out was how to create an ADO.Net datatable, add fields to it, populate it with data, and tie it to a DataGrid. It's pretty easy actually.<br />
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First thing you do is define a variable in working storage that can hold the definition of the table.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-ruUDbtQmSxuDONwX1MLa8KI2zVQ8mqsVC6Z1G1ZZIlyXU8RlxbVz-4qrMlozth78jORZDtxgrx887r3jjSNEaU5FEluCM56_MSHBg8DVhYMujCVYwbzHRN0h0da4kvG4poKmFy4tyA/s1600/table+definition.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="17" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-ruUDbtQmSxuDONwX1MLa8KI2zVQ8mqsVC6Z1G1ZZIlyXU8RlxbVz-4qrMlozth78jORZDtxgrx887r3jjSNEaU5FEluCM56_MSHBg8DVhYMujCVYwbzHRN0h0da4kvG4poKmFy4tyA/s200/table+definition.GIF" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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Then in my program I create a new instance of the table and store it in this variable.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96Q2vdFb8_Z6hXFqy0LKpS9pge1IeRRSeILdtMZ6-8CwYDdXewqCKMhvx6YfSCw1eTc4wXgjjxH37_qbla1nb0adMHgJnRkq87_L0iJZn0KYxkf_XmiNOPtX_yF6_t17c0QX8Uju7CuA/s1600/create+new+table.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96Q2vdFb8_Z6hXFqy0LKpS9pge1IeRRSeILdtMZ6-8CwYDdXewqCKMhvx6YfSCw1eTc4wXgjjxH37_qbla1nb0adMHgJnRkq87_L0iJZn0KYxkf_XmiNOPtX_yF6_t17c0QX8Uju7CuA/s1600/create+new+table.GIF" /></a></div><br />
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And then I added a column to the ADO.Net datatable by first defining a variable in Working Storage that could hold the definition of a column:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5OulHK3EZaQRnBsf9_eWwFgWeqwyvQdx0vT2-Tb8oJJYxHrBQgey2_zdTLq_UxJucGzzP-GdCI6TrxAA32B1N02MS2YgFWnVxBui2-SGzzboBpQ0e0UA_IA9FcsrKn2tzQIk7tUJYoU/s1600/define+column.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="15" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5OulHK3EZaQRnBsf9_eWwFgWeqwyvQdx0vT2-Tb8oJJYxHrBQgey2_zdTLq_UxJucGzzP-GdCI6TrxAA32B1N02MS2YgFWnVxBui2-SGzzboBpQ0e0UA_IA9FcsrKn2tzQIk7tUJYoU/s200/define+column.GIF" width="200" /></a><br />
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And then doing the add like so:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievU6OYmzc8Xg_lePr4BywlavDwO6iKl2F2vIRozH59hahwJMU8pO4pLpe-VCHoQio79Pcs8fiaQzXTTAQkg6qCyDPLJTlHKXlPhFYJitUgulpMX82sT1qNd0_62IG6PcR9Dh5pHZjqIE/s1600/create+new+column.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievU6OYmzc8Xg_lePr4BywlavDwO6iKl2F2vIRozH59hahwJMU8pO4pLpe-VCHoQio79Pcs8fiaQzXTTAQkg6qCyDPLJTlHKXlPhFYJitUgulpMX82sT1qNd0_62IG6PcR9Dh5pHZjqIE/s1600/create+new+column.GIF" /></a></div><br />
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After that, it was just a matter of setting the various properties of the column:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AY1JqWh5JwsazELxOQQI_koR5yX1rPiJPvTBMTh4FhYEhYi2R3cUHUamcBB6RX1Y1-suuy1B0fsd1_ad1jcBdD3MjhTebn60pNcNVTgzOO3vB81BNZNftKjeA7p8d3XiCs1yUhuTG64/s1600/configuring+the+column.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AY1JqWh5JwsazELxOQQI_koR5yX1rPiJPvTBMTh4FhYEhYi2R3cUHUamcBB6RX1Y1-suuy1B0fsd1_ad1jcBdD3MjhTebn60pNcNVTgzOO3vB81BNZNftKjeA7p8d3XiCs1yUhuTG64/s640/configuring+the+column.GIF" width="640" /></a></div>And adding it to my datatable.<br />
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Once I had the table defined, I linked the datagrid control I had placed on my Winform to it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYwa91OjscRGNuX3sQ_5dEWAHfSNgDH3FZFCH9PYAuQOzpPvI051F4Zu1rJEXpUV4P6Y8FsL56tQWPpxVw6zEFLQBsovIi8YbVmThWR_Q7WDagtX0pMdEAneDsnM6rGRfD9vcoXrmgi0/s1600/linking+table+to+datagrid.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYwa91OjscRGNuX3sQ_5dEWAHfSNgDH3FZFCH9PYAuQOzpPvI051F4Zu1rJEXpUV4P6Y8FsL56tQWPpxVw6zEFLQBsovIi8YbVmThWR_Q7WDagtX0pMdEAneDsnM6rGRfD9vcoXrmgi0/s1600/linking+table+to+datagrid.GIF" /></a></div><br />
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Now that the data table has been defined, it is just a matter of adding <span style="color: black;">some</span> data to it. To do this, I had to first create a new row in the datatable. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjSJNXJcOLQXrSmT8c9JMQMbZLR8HDf6vQlJQEGrPQT783TTXAMwQM_Y27tO8EgThyphenhyphencz_tPskgD5O3kteHfaPWGsUUEu-S6GNVjeqaQU8LRw_TVxsXYYCEWTc3JvxbliHk1L-1jdkE0A/s1600/define+row.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="15" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjSJNXJcOLQXrSmT8c9JMQMbZLR8HDf6vQlJQEGrPQT783TTXAMwQM_Y27tO8EgThyphenhyphencz_tPskgD5O3kteHfaPWGsUUEu-S6GNVjeqaQU8LRw_TVxsXYYCEWTc3JvxbliHk1L-1jdkE0A/s200/define+row.GIF" width="200" /></a><br />
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And then once that was done, I inserted data into that row matching its definition:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tJw_Ydv6woul-cSy8oi7e_PjG42JMwV19QN8fo7UVTH61OKxrZ8BF5oVZOwU8iAum7rydYuvJSK1m1Te8fSjbqAybdpFw9IqRfyXBk0x55vXKO6lEbVecB1x0TRDFxmbZGLQ8PniLwk/s1600/insert+row+data.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="52" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6tJw_Ydv6woul-cSy8oi7e_PjG42JMwV19QN8fo7UVTH61OKxrZ8BF5oVZOwU8iAum7rydYuvJSK1m1Te8fSjbqAybdpFw9IqRfyXBk0x55vXKO6lEbVecB1x0TRDFxmbZGLQ8PniLwk/s640/insert+row+data.GIF" width="640" /></a></div>The only tough part was figuring out the syntax of adding a row to the table. In VB.Net, the statement would have been:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trow = Tbl.NewRow()</span><br />
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But as you can see, in Visual COBOL, I had to first set the data type of the field and then add it to the table. What's an extra statement among friends right? *smile*<br />
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The last set statement above uses the Now method of System.DateTime and stores it in the column I created. The "ToShortDateString" at the end of it allow me to choose the format of the date string being stored into the column. I could have just as easily accepted the current-date from the system clock and placed it in there. But I thought I would try the .Net method instead. <br />
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Fairly simple. Once I figured all this out, it didn't take long to expand on things and create something I could toy around with...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylk_p9O7W-BTOvxHMvQrOMgqNfvIQh5Z-MLJKzNwO1tGXMEg23N77Ersx9wR9wftmmRNL03yokS-y_OTgkETVj2FhT3NkYAD7VkC_v5zY3kpEVipk3TTN5TUv6atPiKGHWqVs5I-aH9k/s1600/datagrid+results.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylk_p9O7W-BTOvxHMvQrOMgqNfvIQh5Z-MLJKzNwO1tGXMEg23N77Ersx9wR9wftmmRNL03yokS-y_OTgkETVj2FhT3NkYAD7VkC_v5zY3kpEVipk3TTN5TUv6atPiKGHWqVs5I-aH9k/s400/datagrid+results.GIF" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Yes, I know it isn't that impressive, but I now know how to create an ADO.Net data table, populate it and link it to a datagrid. And so do you by the way *wink*.<br />
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And I'm betting neither one of us knew how to do it before you read this.<br />
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See, I can learn new tricks *smile*Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-13344032583765604072011-02-01T13:07:00.000-05:002011-02-01T13:07:55.540-05:00It's All About CommunityMicro Focus has recently launched a new community site for those who use the many different tools the company produces. For those that haven't visited as of yet, click on <a href="http://community.microfocus.com/">community.microfocus.com</a> and take a look. You'll find forums, blogs and articles dedicated to each product area, not just COBOL.<br />
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For instance, there are sections on DevPartner, Silk, and i.Sight (Modernization Workbench) and so on and so forth. Of course the COBOL sections are the best, but then again maybe I'm biased in some way :).<br />
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While still in its infancy, I believe it has potential to turn into something rather useful. I would like to encourage you to post on the site and share your ideas/questions, etc. I'm a firm believer that you'll only get something out of it if you put something in to it. Yeah, I said that. *smile*<br />
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I've already found a pretty interesting post on the site showing how to do a mail merge using Visual COBOL and Microsoft Word. Pretty slick stuff and something I've often wanted to do myself. I wonder what else someone will post? I'll just have to keep checking back huh? *wink*<br />
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Oh well, lunch break is over. Gotta get back to it.<br />
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See ya!Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-77558261299490767972010-12-02T18:45:00.000-05:002010-12-02T18:45:32.249-05:00How to be ControllingDuring the project I mentioned last posting, the C# expert created several custom controls using COBOL which we used on the various WinForms in the application. I myself have never done anything with user controls and since I haven't seen it written up anywhere else, I thought this would make for a good topic for discussion. How do you create a custom control using COBOL?<br />
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Yep. I'm glad you asked *smile*<br />
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Instead of starting from scratch, I figured the right approach would be to capitalize on work done by others. And by taking that approach, I found an article at <a href="http://knol.google.com/k/creating-custom-controls-with-c-net#">http://knol.google.com/k/creating-custom-controls-with-c-net#</a> which made my job easy. The article spells out how to create a custom progress bar for your application. Seems like something useful huh?<br />
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<div> </div>Before I get started, let me make it clear that I’m not going to go into all the details on custom controls in this article. You can find more information in much greater detail and deeper understanding than anything I could write (in the referenced article for one). I’m going to spend my time on recreating the same control Dave (the original author) outlined in his post. The difference is that I’ll be using Micro Focus Visual COBOL and Visual Studio 2010. So, print out Dave’s directions and follow along with me while I highlight the differences.<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span> </span></span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Getting Started</span><br />
First I created the same project using the same name, but instead of C#, I selected to create a managed COBOL Windows Forms Application (didn't want to strain too much by thinking too hard too soon of course).<br />
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<div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3txxXHtfAu8viXrr3ibC4E-lN_hBFd-K4f-IsKYzKeh4Msh9FReRWdnEEW2ZXQ17hD16avTps0xU0jKO-YUqe6hWO4RkSJVag-Y0dKwOcDEUCN2OgG_Rx2iOIvUd9xRvFog1Pifl_EFQ/s1600/pic1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3txxXHtfAu8viXrr3ibC4E-lN_hBFd-K4f-IsKYzKeh4Msh9FReRWdnEEW2ZXQ17hD16avTps0xU0jKO-YUqe6hWO4RkSJVag-Y0dKwOcDEUCN2OgG_Rx2iOIvUd9xRvFog1Pifl_EFQ/s640/pic1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Next, just like Dave, I added a new project to the solution and call it “ProgressBar”, making sure to select managed COBOL Class library as the template.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11HDdCgGX8bGa_olq0iS7LmcclNWz_JdX3ATCYLN4coXD6JlQVREoD7h2l8L07u9vNuLx3AXVK2ezk2zxOkvYS-gc6pklp3lmHs3ZoGJkMmKK1xnPJIOhRm3gsEkg1wxOknT4KoyxczU/s1600/pic1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11HDdCgGX8bGa_olq0iS7LmcclNWz_JdX3ATCYLN4coXD6JlQVREoD7h2l8L07u9vNuLx3AXVK2ezk2zxOkvYS-gc6pklp3lmHs3ZoGJkMmKK1xnPJIOhRm3gsEkg1wxOknT4KoyxczU/s640/pic1.jpg" width="640" /></a> I then added the reference to the new project as directed and was ready to create the control. As with the C# example, Visual COBOL created a shell class program for me to use as a base. And as in the example, I deleted it because I wouldn’t be using it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzYFLn54EBb-pwzkpWZjEFzgMKtVAmMc4M9vXrBqEZ8rEEskngCIl4-aHts4xs_oI6W4p2wg__OzpdAdXIx7aqLLrUf_z0JwTZfyCaOV-1qbVnlHQYSStsZxZf69kZS9Gw-Vk8N-P1A0/s1600/pic3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzYFLn54EBb-pwzkpWZjEFzgMKtVAmMc4M9vXrBqEZ8rEEskngCIl4-aHts4xs_oI6W4p2wg__OzpdAdXIx7aqLLrUf_z0JwTZfyCaOV-1qbVnlHQYSStsZxZf69kZS9Gw-Vk8N-P1A0/s640/pic3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div> From the Solution Explorer, I selected the ProgressBar project and right clicked to Add a new item, selected “User Control” from the menu and named it “ProgressControl”. </div><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoXiBCZ0RxFjKJunJESFwV3f8pEYVXEXvhqp3V2-BCZIS90FDaArKhGssLYaaiKdrze4wKrWIczKYJ_FF91LhzkYCG7o5HJ2g_iYpk1__byT5UhRwp7SXfnH3sdn-TD3ipu1OuVDUbnw/s1600/pic4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPoXiBCZ0RxFjKJunJESFwV3f8pEYVXEXvhqp3V2-BCZIS90FDaArKhGssLYaaiKdrze4wKrWIczKYJ_FF91LhzkYCG7o5HJ2g_iYpk1__byT5UhRwp7SXfnH3sdn-TD3ipu1OuVDUbnw/s640/pic4.jpg" width="640" /></a> Once the user control was created, I set the properties as Dave had them:</div><br />
<ul><li> BackColor: Window</li>
<li>BorderStyle: FixedSingle</li>
<li>Size: 148, 14</li>
<li>Double-Buffered: True</li>
</ul><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">As for the Code</span><br />
Since I used COBOL, you’ll notice the code behind page that was created for the ProgressControl is very similar to the C# version. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARBZd7Y0Duu0sfLSdj-PG_vFExOEKxXhbjX90mDHBZE7iB_jknqjQ3H_-H_vLs9ZceKMnXxrjwLw1vFnuM-dy3ZW1nGRvuNmXMXaCnxLLSINJz8vicNh92LtwcYoOniku5pwzKRIr8d8/s1600/pic5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARBZd7Y0Duu0sfLSdj-PG_vFExOEKxXhbjX90mDHBZE7iB_jknqjQ3H_-H_vLs9ZceKMnXxrjwLw1vFnuM-dy3ZW1nGRvuNmXMXaCnxLLSINJz8vicNh92LtwcYoOniku5pwzKRIr8d8/s400/pic5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Next, I added the code to allow for the choosing of a foreground color for the progress bar and added the “System.Drawing” namespace to the program so that I didn’t have to fully qualify things like “System::Drawing::Color” in my COBOL code. I just want to type “Color” same as Dave did in the C# routine. To do this, I typed the appropriate $set statement at the top of the program. While I was there, I also added a line for “System.Windows.Forms” because we’ll need it later.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-OQ6n2GsHklP0L-hELNWNNA1EXhn-XAu5_6rzkzy_okc2AbcuTtK7Rt5oY5eIXneRCsqg1bVnzDqzyKaOWcwoIb7VjTeL56Z6EiFwSauwiYnIlnOPfQpp49RGVUrzwYI5mHzzGhvbtw/s1600/pic6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-OQ6n2GsHklP0L-hELNWNNA1EXhn-XAu5_6rzkzy_okc2AbcuTtK7Rt5oY5eIXneRCsqg1bVnzDqzyKaOWcwoIb7VjTeL56Z6EiFwSauwiYnIlnOPfQpp49RGVUrzwYI5mHzzGhvbtw/s640/pic6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>You’ll also see I added the variable definition to the working storage section for barcolor. In the original C# example, Dave typed:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYuj-RQ4TRjs6NwwgZ6xYOYiuc0WwxNvubDeu_evORChF7e_FfnfjfTsfSf_i2U5nIeK3XPoRVhnPjv5UkRkoC2SzaT4WMxyE9Fl-h7__A_tXYPrpQaMAnhv3mJi3oXgwGRd8sXL11oc/s1600/pic7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYuj-RQ4TRjs6NwwgZ6xYOYiuc0WwxNvubDeu_evORChF7e_FfnfjfTsfSf_i2U5nIeK3XPoRVhnPjv5UkRkoC2SzaT4WMxyE9Fl-h7__A_tXYPrpQaMAnhv3mJi3oXgwGRd8sXL11oc/s400/pic7.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
The biggest difference is that I had to write a bit more code for the get and set methods than what the C# had. Not much, but I had to spell out each method, along with its own working storage, procedure division, etc.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nRh0y7QEoJxYavgn9NdoPOoXNVfm08LEEgGRQRVhbM12NRq8GfWs68LVNqQKn_NDdcwtzqCyhyphenhyphentNoCYxNJ20GunxupPVrKia_U_xPf_I8idcI-3SDPSR5Q00LI_dG-G9osqSJKm-Akc/s1600/pic8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9nRh0y7QEoJxYavgn9NdoPOoXNVfm08LEEgGRQRVhbM12NRq8GfWs68LVNqQKn_NDdcwtzqCyhyphenhyphentNoCYxNJ20GunxupPVrKia_U_xPf_I8idcI-3SDPSR5Q00LI_dG-G9osqSJKm-Akc/s400/pic8.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>Once that portion was coded, I had to make a slight change to the code to create the Value property. Because Value is a reserved word in COBOL. So, instead of using “Value” as a variable name, I used pvalue. I placed the the working storage definition directly after the definition for barcolor (see above). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCKx2MP1kkqHVarx9t1BQG81dU471sDFhv0-b1LeFXW_P2tYJs_eRj_3rcBS3h-26WqwgzeXXIGq4gfPA6cHbv5JDD7vAV6rXEyS68Q6ekwN2S93yPJRSupiCdUbihJaYy5m_hCaexHs/s1600/pic9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="18" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCKx2MP1kkqHVarx9t1BQG81dU471sDFhv0-b1LeFXW_P2tYJs_eRj_3rcBS3h-26WqwgzeXXIGq4gfPA6cHbv5JDD7vAV6rXEyS68Q6ekwN2S93yPJRSupiCdUbihJaYy5m_hCaexHs/s400/pic9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I used COMP-1 because this is the COBOL equivalent of a short Float. And as with the ForeColor get and set methods above, I wrote the two methods to do what the C# code does:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAQk3wJ2r_mzBFrgzLSKPRE63XrhgFqFs3ev6rrObwAfY5CLgx4rY8SNL7zXLEE4fxCPeX45rQhYX6l-eqjtIx6cbis1pkFi-QS5n47wrnBNwNyppJcb25dFYwwOkT9A_I6xbZmhdJQk/s1600/pic10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAQk3wJ2r_mzBFrgzLSKPRE63XrhgFqFs3ev6rrObwAfY5CLgx4rY8SNL7zXLEE4fxCPeX45rQhYX6l-eqjtIx6cbis1pkFi-QS5n47wrnBNwNyppJcb25dFYwwOkT9A_I6xbZmhdJQk/s400/pic10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div> Again, you’ll notice that I used COMP-1 when defining the field that is to be used as a short Float. The last bit of code looks like this:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqrq67hdxWPtqGhzomAQ3y307NFs4jPR4uhw4u8ppqmuCdEO5JEB_nDeT498c_pFaHP49bIEvtfLWlSpff6tR9FhiIvm3WjnAi5c6dekyJ690hG5cqOLubD8CezKsPfXUeh_rbMGH4ug/s1600/pic11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqrq67hdxWPtqGhzomAQ3y307NFs4jPR4uhw4u8ppqmuCdEO5JEB_nDeT498c_pFaHP49bIEvtfLWlSpff6tR9FhiIvm3WjnAi5c6dekyJ690hG5cqOLubD8CezKsPfXUeh_rbMGH4ug/s400/pic11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Two items may stand out here. The first is the invoke statement “invoke super::OnPaint(e)”. Simply put, C# uses the keyword “base”, while COBOL uses “super” to refer to the original superset or base version of the method. Dave’s article points out that this particular statement is optional in his simple example but recommended for more complex paint routines. If I had used “self” instead of “super”, the code would be referring to the current version of the method (the code shown above). That would cause a recursive loop where every time the method was called, the first thing it would do is call itself. That situation ultimately consumes the memory of the machine (guess how I know *smile*) causing Visual Studio to abend.<br />
<br />
<div> </div>The second item which may stand out in this piece of code is that in the C# example, Dave used “Int” to remove the decimal values from the resulting calculation. Instead of dealing with that, I just created a width field with no decimal value. Everything else, I followed the directions provided by Dave. And much to my surprise it worked <strike>first</strike> <strike>second </strike> third time I hit the run button. <br />
<br />
Of course I left out all the mistakes I made trying to decipher the C#, but I never claimed to be a C# programmer now did I? That’s what I call my buddy Mike for. *smile*<br />
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Hopefully you find this of interest / value. If you find any errors in my code or suggestions on how to make this better, by all means, please share! All contributions greatly appreciated!Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-24030456379579607372010-10-20T00:25:00.000-04:002010-10-20T00:25:05.064-04:00C# Expert Makes COBOL.Net ScreamThis week I'm spending time working with a C# expert on a COBOL modernization project. What's interesting is that this individual is using his knowledge of C# to re-architect an existing COBOL application, and the results will still be COBOL. <br />
<br />
While I'm admittedly a novice on the ins and outs of .Net, he's extremely strong in both the framework and object oriented design. Combine his know-how and a basic education on COBOL.Net and in less than two weeks, we've converted the application front end to Winforms and tied it to the existing COBOL business logic.<br />
<br />
Why is this interesting?<br />
<br />
This proves that your company can give your COBOL developers and your .Net developers a tool like Micro Focus Visual COBOL, a week of basic education on COBOL.Net and ...<br />
<br />
TA-DA! <br />
<br />
You can get the best of both worlds. You get a group who knows both Microsoft .Net and COBOL who now have the basic ingredients to begin modifying your COBOL applications to fit your current corporate IT direction. Comingle the groups and the technologies and you'll get several things:<br />
<ul><li>A brand new application based on tried and true application source leveraging an industry standard framework.</li>
<li>A energized team of people educated in both your mission critical applications and the framework you've adopted as your corporate direction.</li>
</ul>And the team will really enjoy doing it.<br />
<br />
Huh?<br />
<br />
Yep. I've seen it this week. People who want to be involved are stopping by every single day asking for details and wanting to know how they can help. This includes folks from both sides of the development shop! Those already on the team are having fun doing something they never thought could be done.<br />
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It's true. Put developers to work breathing life into these systems and they will enjoy the work. Developers like a challenge and cool tools. Both sides of the team will become immersed in learning their parts of this "new world" and the religious battle about languages will become secondary to the mission. Each group will use the tools and language that meet their particular needs and you will get an application which is based on the tried and true applications which have been running your business.<br />
<br />
Don't believe me? Give it a test drive. Put your own team together, mixing folks from both sides of the fence and give them the basic goal of bringing an existing COBOL application forward to the .Net world. Add in some education / guidance and see what happens. Let me know the results!Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-60198612258105327112010-10-10T22:58:00.001-04:002010-10-11T09:45:09.469-04:00ASP.Net, ADO.Net and COBOL - The Right Tools for the JobHey folks,<br />
<br />
In working on learning how to write a web application using COBOL, I thought it would be interesting to understand how to retrieve a BLOB (binary large object) using ADO.Net and display it back to the user.<br />
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So, armed with a downloaded copy of the AdventureWorks database from Microsoft's website, I set about to create an ASP.Net page and its corresponding "code behind" page (out of COBOL of course) to do just that. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTX3djKFXsYlK3bQb5NKD51GSkmfkSLpssZU99P5ff2DJVGyYTWWx3wEthtxsMpkb4jU7xfUb9b8BBqXD-9VPSfaM1NMJ8-_ceT52N-aaqNQSUkqDc3wQzEGH1eRJH8XuP9zlUcXNJg4/s1600/asp+sample+with+sql.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTX3djKFXsYlK3bQb5NKD51GSkmfkSLpssZU99P5ff2DJVGyYTWWx3wEthtxsMpkb4jU7xfUb9b8BBqXD-9VPSfaM1NMJ8-_ceT52N-aaqNQSUkqDc3wQzEGH1eRJH8XuP9zlUcXNJg4/s1600/asp+sample+with+sql.PNG" /></a></div><br />
First off, you'll see from the ASP.Net page in the image above that I'm populating a drop down list box with data from one of the tables in the database. Once the user selects a row from the list, the code behind page launches the "Fetch_ProductImage" method defined within my COBOL program (to see the complete images you may have to click on them to make them full screen).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFAhoKPXhsE-morm5dTHgGlgjkEdqqP_qNCCQ34hBhyphenhyphenkt10_JaZFMNhvid61hE_u41Grdlxba1haHuGqGft0xEiDrpq1Cy8TTjjzVHnXyjDZI4kLnnSADlCyqZWbH33ZhNVaRUcu53ws/s1600/definition.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFAhoKPXhsE-morm5dTHgGlgjkEdqqP_qNCCQ34hBhyphenhyphenkt10_JaZFMNhvid61hE_u41Grdlxba1haHuGqGft0xEiDrpq1Cy8TTjjzVHnXyjDZI4kLnnSADlCyqZWbH33ZhNVaRUcu53ws/s1600/definition.GIF" /></a></div><br />
The image above shows the various objects I had to define using some of the "new" data types I mentioned in an earlier post to this site. Addittionally, you'll see that I define objects based on the ADO.Net class. How I use them is shown below in the method "Fetch_ProductImage". This is used to grab the image stored within the BLOB field for the selected item:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIq4WA39aSY1QWyL_quA2ptYp8ejKEFtKBehLPhEP6piQIofrkjX7oEY9z8KnoQ1zJBCQz_ai0zZV6k1nBnrSrOmNN7yHcFsJlojn3qnMBbFzk90zuV1DjTDNPofll0RmmFdyxCCX2dU/s1600/restofthecode.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIq4WA39aSY1QWyL_quA2ptYp8ejKEFtKBehLPhEP6piQIofrkjX7oEY9z8KnoQ1zJBCQz_ai0zZV6k1nBnrSrOmNN7yHcFsJlojn3qnMBbFzk90zuV1DjTDNPofll0RmmFdyxCCX2dU/s1600/restofthecode.GIF" /></a></div><br />
Once selected the image is displayed to the user via the web browser. Pretty slick huh?<br />
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It's much like using cursors with traditional SQL, with many of the same steps. In traditional SQL, you define the cursor, open the cursor, read the row(s), then close the cursor. Similar thing with the data reader. You define the statement you wish to execute against the table, open the data reader, load the data reader with the rows you wanted, read the row(s) from the data reader, close the connection. Very similar processes.<br />
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One interesting difference I've found is that with a data reader, the rows are stored as "read only". With traditional SQL you can choose to update the rows contained within the cursor. But within a data reader, the data can't be modified. And as I believe is true with a cursor, you can only read forward with the data reader. Once you have read the row, the previous row is no longer available to you.<br />
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There are several other interesting things you can do with ADO.Net. Just to give you an idea... Everything above was based on examples in the first 50 pages from a 585 book I bought on ADO.Net. Yes it was written for a VB.Net developer, but I was able to translate it from gibberish into COBOL easily enough *grin*.<br />
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Overall it wasn't too difficult. Yes, I know I didn't go into details on how to do all the steps involved with the web form portion of this. That was because I figure that was the easier part and you too can pick that up from a good book on building ASP.Net web pages. As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been working from Imar's book "Beginning ASP.Net 4 in C# and VB". As to the rest, it is all shown above in the COBOL example. There's surprisingly not that much to it huh?<br />
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I hope this was of value for you. Drop me a note if you have any questions or comments. I'd love to hear from you!Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-64568731227987489832010-08-15T19:20:00.000-04:002010-08-15T19:20:21.045-04:00Mind The Gap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2fIlhHhe0FCjrto1taAh_xgkEY6wv75zjIFFJTReGa7UarjmhmOmgDzaFDk33V__PZnuOTxRhpzCb_JNF0vxwWdnJF_VkXV9grPi2GbXoemFiZL7C3-KHUKT9u78Mufc9-54Y59x7Kk/s1600/mind_the_gap-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2fIlhHhe0FCjrto1taAh_xgkEY6wv75zjIFFJTReGa7UarjmhmOmgDzaFDk33V__PZnuOTxRhpzCb_JNF0vxwWdnJF_VkXV9grPi2GbXoemFiZL7C3-KHUKT9u78Mufc9-54Y59x7Kk/s200/mind_the_gap-logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Once upon a time, I was told that Cobol developers couldn't cross the gap to learn that "object oriented" stuff. Why can't we? Could it be that we aren't smart enough? <br />
<br />
I think not.<br />
<br />
I believe it has to do with the combination of syntax and methodology. Let's face it, Object Oriented Cobol syntax from the 2002 standard is confusing. Too many quote characters cluttering things up is my opinion. Additionally, to use it, there was this object oriented approach to program design we were supposed to learn. And because we had to learn a new language and we were coming from a procedural-based frame of reference, it stumped us. I think we were trying to learn too many new things at once.<br />
<br />
*cue creepy music*<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.classicscreams.com/Celeb_Pages/Celeb_Pics/Price_Vincent_006_Cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://www.classicscreams.com/Celeb_Pages/Celeb_Pics/Price_Vincent_006_Cooking.jpg" width="280" /></a>I have a secret...</div><br />
For the last couple of weeks, I've been working secretly in my lab deep beneath the dungeon cooking something up.<br />
<br />
I have been working to come to grips with...<br />
<br />
<br />
Dare I say it...Cobol.Net and ASP.Net. *gasp*<br />
<br />
(Ok, I was in my home office in the basement. Anyway, back to the story)<br />
<br />
I bought a book by Imar Spannjaars titled "Beginning ASP.NET 4 in C# and VB", and I had this thought... I wondered if I could translate what Imar was trying to teach the VB and C# crowd into Cobol.Net syntax. Guess what? You can. *smile*<br />
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First off, I've discovered that the new syntax the Micro Focus development guys have put together has made it easier for me to translate from VB.Net to the Cobol.Net.<br />
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And you want to know what else I found? The Object oriented approach started to make more sense. Not just basic sense but the kind of common sense you hope your teenage son finally gets before he graduates college (I keep my fingers crossed). <br />
<br />
I found that for the most part I only had to grasp a handful of concepts and I could write slick web-based ASP.Net applications using Cobol.Net. <br />
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Basically it comes down to the <a href="http://itsacobolworld.blogspot.com/2009/10/understanding-cobol-for-net-data-types.html">new data types I've mentioned in earlier posts</a> and two "new" statements, Set and Invoke. For instance, here is how you use the Set statement.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrrVqnW5eKhmZetedIgmjnVEmX-fs2vPgtTyMMuReL2fhMPxbCzlfe6cBi1BtlG9jkfKqYeoqcqRO_NCq9rnEh5nc6usI39ZggJ9Xf1NIgHpieFxH6VXkICsOYdAvIsSKoCeWaaJbF6o/s1600/exampleset.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="85" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrrVqnW5eKhmZetedIgmjnVEmX-fs2vPgtTyMMuReL2fhMPxbCzlfe6cBi1BtlG9jkfKqYeoqcqRO_NCq9rnEh5nc6usI39ZggJ9Xf1NIgHpieFxH6VXkICsOYdAvIsSKoCeWaaJbF6o/s400/exampleset.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Translation:</strong><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If the HasFile field of the FileUpload1 control on the current web page is true (think of it as an 88 level switch), set ws-filename to the value stored in the FileName field of the FileUpload1 control on the current web page. If it doesn't, set the text of the UloadSuccessMessage object to "No File Selected. Unable to Upload" and make it visibile to the user.</span><br />
<br />
And guess what? Invoke isn't much different.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJQ7YkCMFlV8oYLLPvqQi9N4F9i3UPwKlDDKKoiSMeAFeGXuah9VTxnSBjUwmlQ1dvXTb-ujd1vm73DEe1WsHVpUyCUWHdk6KK5LbvxsoChJefsTNRTW8nTN-tQYUmaAI7Stn8cY6oho/s1600/exampleredirect.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="17" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJQ7YkCMFlV8oYLLPvqQi9N4F9i3UPwKlDDKKoiSMeAFeGXuah9VTxnSBjUwmlQ1dvXTb-ujd1vm73DEe1WsHVpUyCUWHdk6KK5LbvxsoChJefsTNRTW8nTN-tQYUmaAI7Stn8cY6oho/s400/exampleredirect.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><strong>Translation:</strong><br />
call the Redirect routine of the Response "program" that is tied to the current web application and pass it the URL of "Default.aspx?Redirect".<br />
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Based on this rather amazing revelation (amazing to me anyways), I've come to the conclusion that yes Cobol programmers can make the leap.<br />
<br />
It isn't really that much of a leap actually, but more like a series of small steps. <br />
<br />
Additionally, I believe that C# and VB folks can understand the basics of this new version of the Cobol.Net syntax. <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In the near future, I hope to post the complete source for the web application I've been building and you can see for yourself what I'm talking about. This stuff ain't rocket science.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcG7klLveSBqvqgmFVgiUNIWTv2iwxaEdSzC6hanjIVsYshnP5ParzQDh_laWAtIylj4NJw7yf-l1CQJsUNrFZP1UZhBCj-H8CNlmBlVX4NwzhEnMMLbp1Vu_iuL12-EeNqrOV6AAQn0/s1600/rocket-science-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcG7klLveSBqvqgmFVgiUNIWTv2iwxaEdSzC6hanjIVsYshnP5ParzQDh_laWAtIylj4NJw7yf-l1CQJsUNrFZP1UZhBCj-H8CNlmBlVX4NwzhEnMMLbp1Vu_iuL12-EeNqrOV6AAQn0/s200/rocket-science-image.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Just in case you didn't notice, you too can give this a try. Download a copy of Visual Cobol for your home machine for 30 days (<a href="http://www.microfocus.com/visualcobol">www.microfocus.com/visualcobol</a>) and give it a shot. Can't figure out how to do something? Maybe we can figure it out together. Consider it a learning experience *grin*</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-54120766395511041132010-07-23T15:40:00.006-04:002010-07-23T16:00:34.280-04:00COBOL: Still Learning and Growing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv-iQ2bKOg-2Krj3nvYP6_55I4G_Avn-A8A2hW1rwdgUTbD_cBqU1ikmu8teAacKqFQbjiOe-4lIie4YgOgk0XFcrqv-9efHa18WR1fwdqgqIJgPMlMvuodqmS1DOhYp7Va-1TBYYXWM/s1600/education.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497192722404567058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv-iQ2bKOg-2Krj3nvYP6_55I4G_Avn-A8A2hW1rwdgUTbD_cBqU1ikmu8teAacKqFQbjiOe-4lIie4YgOgk0XFcrqv-9efHa18WR1fwdqgqIJgPMlMvuodqmS1DOhYp7Va-1TBYYXWM/s320/education.jpg" /></a><br /><p><strong>Continuity</strong> </p><br /><p><br />I was recently asked about the direction of COBOL and whether or not I believed the language would continue for very much longer. To say I was taken aback by the question would be a serious understatement! I pointed the person to an article I did last year about COBOL not only being everywhere but what it could do. The article was titled “COBOL: It’s everywhere” and can be found at <a href="http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/RSM50/EVRYWHR09032009152715PM/EVRYWHR.aspx">http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/RSM50/EVRYWHR09032009152715PM/EVRYWHR.aspx</a> . Now maybe I’m being rather naïve, but really why wouldn’t COBOL not only continue but grow and adapt? All one has to do is to take a serious historical perspective of the COBOL language and one can see not only continuous enhancements to the language, but continual expansion of the language. Let’s take a quick historical review of COBOL, shall we?<br /><br />Yes COBOL is old. It’s over 50 years old already. In most cases it’s been around longer than most of the developers working in a given shop. Just because something is old though doesn’t mean it’s still not useful and serving a purpose. We’ve heard the examples before, “Have a credit card?”, “Use a cell phone?”, “Have a house mortgage?”, “Pay income taxes?”… all and many more examples are being ran by COBOL systems in some point in time. Micro Focus asked a reporter once to live a single day without interacting in some manner, shape or form with COBOL and it couldn’t be done. So it may be old, but it’s also very wide-spread and serving us day in and day out without any recognition. Now let’s look at how COBOL has grown through the years.<br /><br /><strong>Evolution</strong><br /><br />Even though COBOL is old, it has not stopped learning. COBOL has gone through a number of revisions. To set the baseline let’s take a brief look at each of the versions of COBOL and identify the key contributions made to the language starting with ANS COBOL 68 (yes that’s <strong>1968</strong>).<br /></p><ul><li><strong>ANSI COBOL 1968</strong> In December 1960 a COBOL program was successfully compiled and executed on two different platforms without requiring any code changes. This demonstrated the concept of compatibility to the early pioneers and the need to ensure the language remained consistent across multiple vendors. During the course of the next several years however compatibility suffered. The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) set about the task of re-establishing compatibility. COBOL 68 was the first ‘official’ release of the language.</li><br /><br /><li><strong>ANSI COBOL 1974</strong> This version was considered by many to re-emphasize the need for compatibility. It contained a number of features that were not in the original version. </li><br /><br /><li><strong>ANSI COBOL 1985</strong> Another revision of the original version with new features. One of the most important was the introduction of structured constructs. This included the inclusion of scope-terminators such as ‘END-READ’ and ‘END-IF’ to name two. This release was geared towards standardized coding techniques. </li><br /><br /><li><strong>ANSI COBOL 2002</strong> A significant enhancement of the language was accomplished with the 2002 release of the language. Several of the key concepts introduced included National Language support including support for the Unicode character set, user-defined functions, calling conventions to and from non-COBOL languages, framework support (.NET and Java), floating-point, and XML generation and parsing. One would characterize this release as geared towards interoperability.<br /></li></ul><p>Let’s look at the above information in a different perspective. The different versions of the language are presented with the key object each version achieved:<br /><br />ANSI 1968: Language Standardization<br />ANSI 1974: Language expansion<br />ANSI 1985: Technique standardization<br />ANSI 2002: Interoperability<br /><br />From this we see a progression of maturity in the language beginning with defining a standard manner in which to communicate, to growing in capabilities and finally to enabling communications with others. A logical progression and growth enabling COBOL to become capable of achieving many more tasks than ever imagined by its creators. But yet the perception exists that COBOL can’t do anything more than add numbers together. But what about the question posed earlier, “Will COBOL be around for very much longer?” Well the NEXT standard has been in development for a while and is due to be released for public comment in August 2010. </p><p><br /><strong>Continued Expansion<br /></strong></p><br /><p>The next standards goals are to continue to expand the capabilities of the language while making it able to interact with the other languages of the day. To that end the following are being proposed for inclusion in the standard<br />— Dynamic-capacity tables<br />— Function pointers<br />— Any-length elementary items<br />— Increased size limit on nonnumeric literals<br />— Enhanced locale support in functions<br />— Support for industry standard floating-point formats and arithmetic, including multiple rounding options<br />— Structured constants<br />— Enhanced date and time handling<br />— Parametric polymorphism, also known as method overloading<br /></p><br /><br /><p>If you’d like to follow the process of the standard you can visit <a href="http://www.cobolstandard.info/j4/">http://www.cobolstandard.info/j4/</a> . We as COBOL developers should be aware of the changes being proposed to the language we work with on a daily basis so that we may be able to adapt our techniques to take advantage of the new constructs in our toolbox.<br /></p><p><strong>Awakening<br /></strong></p><br /><br /><p>What has to happen though is for the development community world-wide to realize what a valuable asset it has in all this COBOL code floating around the world and what a versatile language COBOL really is. Companies have invested billions of dollars in these systems. They’ve spent years tweaking, tuning, refining the logic to do just what they need. Then someone says “COBOL ain’t cool” and they look at getting rid of it. Why? We can interact with COBOL in ways unheard of before with .NET being a primary example. Let’s wake up and realize the enormous economic investment that has been made of COBOL and instead of trying to replace it, let’s help make it do even more. Look at new platforms for performance gains, look at new frameworks such as .NET for interaction but let COBOL keep doing the job it’s been designed for…making money! Will COBOL be around for another 50 years? Time will tell but with its demonstrated ability to grow, adapt and expand I would bet on it. </p><br /><p><br />Let’s hear what you have to say. Do you code COBOL? Does your company have applications written in COBOL? How are you using it? Are you looking to expand it? Have you or your company considered expanding what COBOL can do to achieve business success? </p>RSM50http://www.blogger.com/profile/07600530542083941428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1215138205010460377.post-77197567385629492022010-07-01T00:16:00.002-04:002010-07-01T00:30:28.356-04:00The COBOL Version: Going The Way of Jello?Once upon a time, every customer RFI had a question about the version of COBOL the compiler supported. That was years ago. I can't tell you the last time I got that question. Not only that, I can't recall when the last time anyone cared really.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-PbxhjqUeJ77DiSsW7FjTviFjkAzTCNP8U1hmGDB93rsS_MW4844iGynDzCwL5-IR_Kgh54tnbu3suRO3hK2pfei7ky0yhB5Wx18Q4ar45SUZ5IYOMHB_pwEDwGrHbh7I6YOE3HcdoY/s1600/jello+ad.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-PbxhjqUeJ77DiSsW7FjTviFjkAzTCNP8U1hmGDB93rsS_MW4844iGynDzCwL5-IR_Kgh54tnbu3suRO3hK2pfei7ky0yhB5Wx18Q4ar45SUZ5IYOMHB_pwEDwGrHbh7I6YOE3HcdoY/s200/jello+ad.bmp" width="130" /></a></div>Why is this? Have COBOL versions gone the way of gelatin? Have they blended so much or become so generic that eveyone calls it by the same name, regardless of what version it is? Name another brand of gelatin. (Bet ya can't)<br />
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Well, one reason I personally never get the RFI question is probably due to the fact that the Micro Focus dialect has become the defacto standard if you are working off the mainframe. And that just happens to be the toolset I work with. Yes, it is nice to be with the market leader *grin*. It does make life easier sometimes. The only version related question recently was "Do you support Enterprise COBOL?". Again, this was probably due to this being the version on the mainframe they used.<br />
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With these two exceptions in mind, I still don't see why companies have lost interest in the latest version of the COBOL standard. Ask a shop working with Java and you'll find out quickly if they are on 1.3 or a 1.6, etc. Same thing with the .Net framework. I guarantee you'll find out quickly if a company targets the 2.0 or 3.0 version of the .Net framework.<br />
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But the COBOL version? Maybe my imagination, but it doesn't seem to be that important anymore.<br />
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Could it be that everyone lumps every version into the same bucket? Its all just COBOL right?<br />
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As many may or may not know, the last published COBOL standard was released in 2002. There were a number of items in the 2002 edition related to Object Orientation which truely brought the language into the modern era. From the notes on the <a href="http://www.cobolstandards.com/index.asp">COBOL Standards website</a>, there are references to a supposed release targeted for 2008 which were supposed to move it even further forward. I wonder what ever happened to that version. Anyone know? Why did it die on the vine? I know for a fact the group still meets and is working on advancing the language. But why has it remained unpublished? Isn't it about time a new version was announced?<br />
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Oh well, I digress.<br />
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What I'm most curious about is your company's conformance to a particular COBOL version or published standard. What version do you use? Are there any elements of the 2002 standard that your company uses or conforms to? Or are they tied to a vendor specific version of COBOL like Micro Focus or Acucorp?<br />
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A more basic question...Do you know what is in the 2002 edition of the COBOL standard? You can <a href="http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=28805">find it at the ISO website</a> just in case you were curious...<br />
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And one other question before I finish up on the topic.<br />
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If a new version of the standard were to be released on the world, what would it mean to you? To your company? From what I can see, it would be a safe bet that very little discussion would occur around the subject until somone needed to upgrade their compiler. <br />
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Kinda like the "if a tree fell in the woods, would it make a sound" question. *smile*<br />
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With my limited knowledge of what is being discussed by the group, this may ultimately be a bit of short-sightedness if your company uses COBOL but isn't up on the subject. There may be elements within the standard which would allow your company to save money or do more with the language.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Attention_Sign.svg/628px-Attention_Sign.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" ru="true" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Attention_Sign.svg/628px-Attention_Sign.svg.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">All things considered, how would you propose the guys over at the COBOL Standards Group go about getting your attention?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">What needs to happen to bring this to the forefront in your shop?</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Just curious.</div>Robert Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06987247885620411892noreply@blogger.com3