PowerCOBOL - Getting out from under


PowerCOBOL Migration

Despite providing a very good tool for adding GUI interfaces to COBOL programs, PowerCOBOL is showing its age, and whether it will continue to be supported is a matter of some concern. Furthermore, modern applications require better and richer GUI controls than are provided by the PowerCOBOL IDE. Many users have a large investment in it but there has been no migration path offered to them so they can modernize their existing PowerCOBOL systems. Having to re-draw hundreds of GUI screens and re-write the event processing and procedures for them is not an attractive prospect for most PowerCOBOL sites. PRIMA's PowerCOBOL Migration Tool (PCOB2NET) seeks to remedy that situation.

 

The current PowerCOBOL "code-behind" (called "scriptlets" in PowerCOBOL terminology) is written in COBOL and some people will want to move on to more modern languages, while others will want to retain COBOL. Our solution allows you to write in both (.Net) managed or (native code) unmanaged COBOL, AND/OR use the .Net languages (C#, VB.NET).

Updated: January, 2021
Current status:
Releases targeting .Net 4 have been developed and are available NOW! Contact us for a trial or a Proof Of Concept (POC); there is no free download. You can see an end-to-end demo of the process in a video HERE!
Read more about the new package, including what you get "out of the box", on the status page, HERE!
Comment:
If you are seriously considering a future for your PowerCOBOL investment, we can help you.

ALL of your existing COBOL business rules and functions can be easily salvaged and moved into the .NET environment.


If you are not familiar with OO COBOL or Visual Studio, the new tool does the heavy lifting for you and lets you acquire the basics very quickly. We have good tutorials and walkthroughs and we provide guidance and help as part of the basic support that comes with the kitset. We want your migration to be successful and we work with you to ensure that it is.
IMPORTANT!
Whether you stay with COBOL or move to a transition into more modern languages, moving to .NET does NOT require you to make any more investment into COBOL infrastructure than you already have. You do not need a CIL generating compiler (COBOL for .NET), but if you already have one, you can use it to compile generated code-behind. The Fujitsu native code generating compiler (used for NetCOBOL and PowerCOBOL) is all you need to maintain your existing code in .NET.  Our tools allow the native code generated by these compilers to run properly in the .Net environment.

However, we do intend to extend the code-behind classes generated by the Tool to be compilable as both managed (32/64 bit) or unmanaged (native code 32 bit only). If you wish to continue with COBOL you can move it into 64 bit .NET managed code, but you then may need to upgrade to a .NET (CIL) compiler.

If you move on from COBOL (or PowerCOBOL) the .NET compilers (C# and VB.Net) are a FREE download and they both support 64 bit managed (CIL) code-behinds.
 Access to these compilers and languages is a major advantage in moving away from PowerCOBOL.

For a look at the MAJOR PROBLEMS encountered and solved during this development, click the 'Solutions' button...

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 Here are some of the reasons you might find this tool useful:

* - Allows you to REMOVE your DEPENDENCY on PowerCOBOL, WITHOUT losing your current investment.
* - Allows you to KEEP COBOL as your development language if you want to do that.
* - Allows you to use a .NET language (e.g. C#, VB.NET) to drive your migrated forms, AND/OR use COBOL...
* - Provides a MUCH RICHER design surface (Visual Studio) to enhance your existing screens and make your new screens more useful.
* - Brings your PowerCOBOL applications into the .Net environment and allows them to be driven by managed (.NET CIL) or unmanaged (Native) code. You do NOT NEED a NetCOBOL for .NET (CIL generating) compiler, but you CAN use one if you already have it.

 

If you would like more information on this or any PRIMA products, please click here...

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