PRIMA Computing, (NZ) Ltd is committed to supporting the refactoring of COBOL
code into objects which can be used with modern software. We understand the
investment in COBOL and we realise that you need a technical strategy which does
not throw the baby out with the bath water.
Our toolset is aimed at small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) who need to move off
COBOL but cannot spend large sums of money to do so, and also need to
salvage as much existing investment as possible.
The first step is to convert existing indexed files to a Relational Database
Management System. Doing this reduces reliance on COBOL for reporting and
querying, and immediately reduces the amount of COBOL that has to be maintained.
You have 3 options:
1. Do the conversion of data and code manually.
2. Use tools to either assist or completely convert your current flat files, and
the code which accesses them.
3. Outsource the conversion and have it done for you.
PRIMA can assist with all 3 of these options.
March, 2011 - now you can SEE the PRIMA Toolset in action! Watch as legacy data is used
to create a new optimized Relational Database in 3rd Normal form, and the new database is then loaded with legacy data. Real data,
to a real database, in real time! In under 10 minutes the Toolset creates an optimized RDB, loaded with current legacy data.
Take the 5 cent Tour and see this process end-to-end!
Click here!
But that's not all! It also creates a series of Data Access Layer objects which can be used by both Legacy and New Technology
so there can be a common data resource between the old and the new, and then it transforms the entire Legacy codebase to
utilise this DAL layer, so that legacy processing continues against the new RDB EXACTLY as it did against the old flat files!
Our conversion toolset can take your current COBOL file definitions and create a
normalised RDB from them. Date fields are identified and stored on the RDB
as DATE types. COBOL REDEFINES, OCCURS, and group fields are all dealt with. We
have tools that will automatically load the existing data from your flat files
to the new RDB. These load programs have "hooks" in them where you can inject
COBOL filters and validations for specific sets of fields or elements, as part
of the load.
Once you have a database, you need to know that your existing programs can
access it, without logic changes, and will produce the same results as if they
were hitting the flat files. Our toolset will AUTOMATICALLY find and replace all
references to flat file access, with invokes of an object oriented data layer,
that manages the new database. There is no embedded SQL in your programs, but
the Data Access Layer can be invoked from ANY language or script which supports
the Component Object Model (COM). The layer is currently written in OO COBOL, wrapped as
COM components. (We will be offering other languages and data access options in
the future, using the same interface and OO component based layer)
These DAL components can be easily invoked from your existing non-OO COBOL, by
the addition of a few lines to it. Our MOSTAMD tool can do this automatically.
Suddenly, your existing data assets are accessible to modern languages and
scripts. Your existing systems continue to function as they always have, but now
you have options (including continuing to use COBOL if you want to).
The above represents the FIRST PHASE of a strategy that is intended to bring
your existing code and data onto the .NET or Mono Frameworks, leverage your
current COBOL into objects that can be re-used and placed anywhere you need
them, and give you the option of using other languages with your COBOL.
Get
PRIMA's Migration package
The package contains all of the browseable images and documents in red to the
right, plus more.
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We have put together a considerable amount of
information about the Toolset and using it. It covers converting data and code and identifies COBOL-specific
problems which you will probably encounter. A walkthrough of the toolset is also included, with actual screenshots of
the tools in use.
Download this package by clicking
the icon on the left; browse some of it by clicking the links below:
1.
Overview of the Latest Toolset release (gives a quick synopsis of functions
supported and documents technical fixes)
2. Snapshot of code transformation using MOSTAMD
3.
Visual overview of the DAL layer
4.
Complete details of the DAL layer, the objects which comprise it, the
interface to it, the methods you can use, and how to invoke it.
5.
The Pathway to Relational Database. This documents the kind of problems you
will encounter, and shows how the Toolset solves them. Even if you do not plan
to use the Toolset, there is much valuable information here for people going
from COBOL to RDB.
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Although
this page of the website is committed to PRIMA, which is a commercial
organisation, in the spirit of providing freeware like the rest of the site,
there is a good deal of valuable information being given away here.
If you are contemplating moving your indexed data resource to a Relational
Database, you will find information, background, concepts, and COBOL specific
problems which you are likely to encounter.
Some examples:
1. What about Group fields defined in the COBOL record layouts?
2. What about OCCURS and REDEFINES?
3. What is Normalization all about? Is it really important?
4. What datatypes are supported by the database but not by COBOL?
5. How will I amend my existing code to access the RDB instead of the indexed
files?
6. What about objects and layers? Are they really that important?
Answers to all of these questions and many more are provided in the download
package.
If you would like to see the Toolset actually doing all the things described here, please visit our DEMOs and Tutorials
page and view the Migration Toolset videos:
Click here for videos...
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