Publisher's Synopsis
Almost all Cobol software in business use was programmed using outdated versions of Cobol. Although it is no longer supported by IBM, it never got updated because it was used primarily for legacy purposes. However, once the Y2K problem gave everyone a reason to reprogram their mainframes, many companies saw an opportunity to upgrade. Cobol upgrade is an enormous market because everyone is undertaking it at the same time. Most companies with legacy mainframe software have thousands of programs which need to be converted, compiled, tested and reintegrated. Ernst & Young has made upgrade a cornerstone of their mainframe and Y2K consulting practice. They indicate that upgrade efforts begun for Y2K will continue several years into the new millennium so clients can recoup the maximum from their corporate Y2K investment.;This text offers a concise primer on how newer versions of Cobol differ from older ones and programming techniques for new features. It also compares three different Cobol products and their compilers in detail. In Part 2 the author walks readers through a comprehensive planning, converting, compiling, and testing scenario for the three upgrade paths possible for current versions. Highlights include: advantages, obstacles, and surprises; compiling converted code; adding /370 programs to existing applications; modifying source programs; special techniques for DB/2 and CICS application programmers; advances in error recovery and performance.
