Re: Thoughts on MF COBOL, Unix, and RDBMS

"Robert" <no@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:rrtp14tp3u0l9ni93d1gb44i56cfk3pjm6@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Sat, 3 May 2008 19:31:47 +1200, "Pete Dashwood" 
> <dashwood@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>"Robert" <no@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>>news:dstn14pta7o7oou3h872mfmkkeasb5pq8f@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>> On Sat, 3 May 2008 12:51:38 +1200, "Pete Dashwood"
>>> <dashwood@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I have some programs written in Fujitsu COBOL (generated by a tool)
that
>>>>run
>>>>in a Windows environment, read ISAM and write a RDB using embedded SQL

>>>>and
>>>>ODBC.
>>>>
>>>>I would like to have these programs run in a Unix environment. There
is 
>>>>a
>>>>COBOL compiler (MicroFocus) available but it doesn't support SQL, and 
>>>>the
>>>>ISAM is C-ISAM. :-)
>>>
>>> It does support SQL, either through the MF-supported OpenESQL 
>>> precompiler
>>> or the Oracle
>>> buggy and no longer supported PRO*COBOL. You can talk through ODBC or 
>>> OCI
>>> (Oracle Call
>>> Interface).
>>>
>>> Embedded SQL on Unix is what I do every day.
>>
>>I think it is an old compiler, Robert. It might even be the same one
that
>>was rebadged and sold as "MicroSoft COBOL"... I have been assured that
it
>>doesn't support SQL, but there may be a lack of understanding. Can 
>>OpenESQL
>>work with old MF stuff? Would we need to buy Open ESQL or is it free?
>
> OpenESQL is not free. It is sold packaged with Cobol compilers, not as a

> separate product.

I am assured it is not packaged with the compiler available in this case.

>
> Precompilers translate EXEC SQL statements into CALLS and MOVES that can

> be compiled by
> any Cobol compiler. The problem comes at execution time. Old MF
compilers 
> produce GNTs
> that run under a COBRUN. They cannot call ELF-format libraries. The 
> library code has to be
> linked into a custom COBRUN. Building one is a pain.
>
>>>>So maybe the generated code should simply write the data out as
strings
>>>>that
>>>>can be INSERTED with a script, as another step in the process.
>>>
>>> A kludge.
>
> On second thought, since volume is low, I'd have the Cobol program write

> SQL INSERT
> statements:
> INSERT INTO table VALUES ("string", 123, 456, ...);

Yes, I see this as equivalent to generating XML, or a CSV file.  Again, as
I 
don't know the Unix environment, I'm not aware of the utilities that this 
could be piped to.

>
> You could pipe the file into a tool like isql or sqsh.

I've never heard of either of these, but I'll do some homework and see 
whether this is viable or not for the people concerned.

Thanks for the pointer.


>
>>Yes, we are not using Oracle in this case. The target is SQL Server
(user
>>request; I have no preference personally...).
>
>>>>Given my unfamilairity with Unix environments I may have missed 
>>>>something
>>>>that is normal in that environment.
>>>
>>> It's not about Unix, it's about databases.
>>
>>Yes, but for all I know there may be packages, tools and utilities in
the
>>Unix environment, that I'm simply not aware of and that could suggest a
>>completely different approach... Just trying to cover the bases.
>
> SQL Server doesn't run on Unix.

They assure me it does in their environment and specifically requested SQL

Server. I'll check with them on this. The actual database doesn't really 
matter, as I'm sure you know.


>Why are we talking about Unix? I'd do the file conversion
> on Windows, using MF or Fujitsu Cobol. There are many Windows tools to 
> load a database.
> MSQUERY is one that everyone has because it comes free with Excel.

I have certainly considered doing just that and it isn't off the table.

For me the C-ISAM was an unknown in the Windows environment, but as both
you 
and Richard have assured me it is a simple flat file format, this might be

one of the best options.

>
>>Is there a Unix environment utility that will read ISAM and write SQL
>>Server? That would certainly be another option. The code I have will do
so
>>in a Windows environment using Fujitsu ISAM. I need it for a Unix
>>environment using C-ISAM.
>
> C-ISAM is super easy. The data is in a flat file with fixed length 
> records. I'd FTP it to
> Windows and do the conversion there. Better yet, read the file through a

> SAMBA connection.
>

Thanks again for your comments, Robert.

Pete.
-- 
"I used to write COBOL...now I can do anything."