Re: [open-cobol-list] User interaction preference.

[Kevin Monceaux]

On Wed, Jun 28, 2006 at 09:20:05PM -0600, Frank Swarbrick wrote:
 
> What COBOLs that you know of out there come with their own SQL
> pre-processor?  

Actually, I'm not very familiar with the various PC COBOL compilers out
there.  I work as an operator in a zOS mainframe shop.  IBM's mainframe
COBOL compiler is what I'm most familiar with.  Our shop doesn't have an SQL
DBMS on the mainframe.  We use IMS on the mainframe.  And, now that I think
about it the EXEC DLI pre-processor is part of the IMS package, not the
COBOL package.

> Seems to me you'd use the COBOL SQL pre-compiler that comes with your
> RDBMS.  

Sure I would, if it had one.  At home I use mainly Postgres.  It has a C SQL
pre-compiler, but not a COBOL SQL pre-compiler.  Fortunately if I want to
tinker with COBOL and SQL at home I can always turn to my VAX.  Hobbyists
licenses are available for OpenVMS.  OpenVMS comes with a mature full
featured COBOL compiler and there is a version of Oracle available to
OpenVMS hobbyists also.

> Since each RDBMS has its own unique API I'm not sure how one could even
> have a generic SQL pre-processor.  Perhaps I'm missing something...

That might be true.  But, logic would dictate that since Embedded SQL is one
of the items listed on the Features page under the "Features Not Implemented" 
section along with the SCREEN SECTION:

http://www.OpenCOBOL.org/modules/bwiki/index.php?Features

that someone on the OpenCOBOL team is considering adding such functionality
to OpenCOBOL.  If noone was planning on adding such a feature at some point
it would instead be listed under the "Features won't be implemented"
section.  Seeing it listed on that page in such a way that makes it appear
to be a feature that will be implemented at some point is what inspired me
to mention it in my e-mail.  It's a feature that I definitely would find
useful.  I currently have other options for writing COBOL programs but would
certainly switch to using OpenCOBOL on my Linux box if it had both a SCREEN
SECTION and SQL pre-processor.  OpenCOBOL is an open source project.
PostgreSQL and MySQL are two of the most popular open source SQL databases
in use.  If the OpenCOBOL team were to create an embedded SQL pre-processor
for those two RDBMSs that would take care of many OpenCOBOL user's embedded
SQL needs.


Kevin
http://www.RawFedDogs.net
http://www.WacoAgilityGroup.org
Bruceville, TX

Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes.