Modernizing your applications with Visual COBOL

Michael Bleistein & Scot Nielsen

Key Concepts

User Interface Modernization for Net Express & Server Express applications

• User Interface modernization using .NET or Java/JVM • Thick Client/desktop applications • Thin Client/browser applications

• Modernizing using web services • BYOD

• Best Practices and considerations for COBOL UI modernization

Universal Deployment with COBOL Server rapid, cost-effective, flexible service delivery with Visual COBOL

Cloud .NET JVM

INNOVATE CHOOSE DEPLOY

Application Virtualisation: Mobile, SaaS and cloud-based solutions

Unix Linux Windows

Native Code Generator

Visual COBOL Deployment Agility

Native code

MSIL code

Byte code

COBOL source

INT code

Micro Focus compiler

COBOL is the unique solution The fastest & lowest risk route to Java or

.NET

• .NET based UI

– Window Forms (WinForms)

– Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)

Take advantage of Visual Studio’s built-in UI design tools…but generate COBOL

• Java based UI

– AWT, SWT

– Swing

Take advantage of Java UI design tools…and call COBOL compiled as a Java Class

5

Desktop UI modernization with Managed Code

6

Design Tools with Visual COBOL and .NET

7

Design Tools with Visual COBOL and Java

• Replace a screen with a Windows Form

• Wrap a .NET user

control as an ActiveX and use that in Dialog System

Modernizing Dialog System apps

• .NET Web Service

– WCF - Windows Communication Foundation

• COBOL JVM and Java App Servers

– Deploy Java and COBOL together under Tomcat

– Use Java to provide web service and call COBOL on the back end

• Web Services – Enterprise Server

– Native code support for web services and J2EE app server deployment

9

Service based modernization with Visual COBOL

10

Best Practices

• Existing Micro Focus COBOL in many cases can be compiled as-is or with very little changes.

• One set of existing COBOL source can be reused on multiple platforms (Native, .NET, or even JVM)

• Provides for a clean and easier to maintain architecture

• COBOL.NET class interfaces with “other” .NET languages in an object oriented way – Class Definition, Methods, Properties

• Methods in COBOL.NET class can call legacy COBOL with standard COBOL syntax:

– CALL “program” USING… or CALL WS-PROGRAM USING…

Keep Existing COBOL portable where possible

• Gives you more options as new technologies come along

• I/O Layer, UI Layer, Services, Layer, Business Rules layer

• Gives flexibility within the application as well makes it more open to other applications and re-use

Begin separating layers of the application

• Without changing one line of COBOL, allows existing procedural COBOL to run in multi-user applications

• Classes provided a runtime service classes that can be used by any .NET language that needs to use legacy COBOL in multi-user applications

• Only needed at the top level class that is calling the procedural COBOL. Any called modules below are also protected.

• Absolutely necessary in server or multi-user .NET applications – Code at executed ON the server by many users

• Allows you to bring valuable existing business logic forward into .NET server applications

• Provided in MicroFocus.COBOL.RuntimeServices assembly

• RunUnit class

Procedural COBOL re-use in Multi-User applications

Demonstration

Demo Architecture

15

Client

COBOL JVM

Server

WCF COBOL .NET

Server

Things to remember…

• Where and how you want to deploy your applications will help determine your modernization strategy

• Visual COBOL provide a number of choices for modernizing your existing COBOL

• Choices are enabled by support for and integration into modern development IDEs and associated technologies

• Test Drive a Visual COBOL app in the cloud:

http://vcdemo.microfocus.com/airportdemo

16

You don’t have to take the B out of COBOL for it to be COOL!

Demonstration

@microfocus or hashtag #devcon2013

Follow us on LinkedIn or join the group

Connect with your peers on the Community