What are COBOL Compiler-specific extensions?

COBOL Compiler-specific extensions in C++ are additional functionalities and features provided by certain C++ compilers to facilitate the integration of COBOL code within a C++ program. These extensions enable developers to leverage existing COBOL code and seamlessly link it with their C++ applications.

Advantages of using COBOL Compiler-specific extensions

1. Code Reusability: Organizations with legacy COBOL systems can benefit from reusing their existing codebase by integrating it into modern C++ applications. This helps in preserving valuable business logic and reduces the cost and effort of rewriting everything from scratch.

2. Smooth Migration: COBOL Compiler-specific extensions provide a bridge between COBOL and C++, allowing for a gradual and smooth migration from legacy COBOL systems to modern C++ environments. This incremental approach minimizes disruptions to business operations.

3. Performance Optimization: By integrating COBOL code using compiler-specific extensions, developers can take advantage of C++’s performance optimizations. This can lead to significant performance improvements, especially when dealing with computationally intensive tasks.

Examples of COBOL Compiler-specific extensions in C++

1. IBM Enterprise COBOL for z/OS: The IBM Enterprise COBOL Compiler provides several extensions for integrating COBOL code into C++ applications running on z/OS. These extensions enable C++ programs to call COBOL subroutines and access COBOL data structures.

extern "C" {
    void MYCOBOLSUB(char* cobolData, int* cobolResult);
}

void myCppFunction()
{
    char cobolData[100];
    int cobolResult;

    MYCOBOLSUB(cobolData, &cobolResult);

    // Perform further processing with the result
}

1. Micro Focus Visual COBOL: Micro Focus offers Visual COBOL, a powerful COBOL development environment that includes interoperability with C++ applications. Through the Micro Focus COBOL Integration Module, it becomes possible to call COBOL programs from C++ and vice versa.

#include "vcobol.h"

int main()
{
    cob_init();
    COB_PROG cobolProgram;

    cob_loadprog(&cobolProgram, "MyCOBOLProgram", null);
    cob_call(&cobolProgram);

    cob_closeprog(&cobolProgram);
    cob_terminate();
    
    return 0;
}

Conclusion

COBOL Compiler-specific extensions in C++ offer a way to combine the power of COBOL with the flexibility and performance optimizations of C++. By leveraging these extensions, organizations can reuse existing COBOL code, gradually migrate to modern C++ environments, and improve the performance of their applications. However, it’s important to note that these extensions might vary across different compilers, so consulting the compiler’s documentation is essential for proper integration.

#cobol #cplusplus