read/import a COBOL database

Hi

I don't program in COBOL, but I need to read (and possibly convert in
some text format, e.g., tab separated) a COBOL archive/database, of
which I ignore the structure.

Is it possible to do this somehow?

many thanks in advance
Lorenzo

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Lorenzo Bettini wrote:
> Hi
>
> I don't program in COBOL, but I need to read (and possibly convert in
> some text format, e.g., tab separated) a COBOL archive/database, of
> which I ignore the structure.
>
> Is it possible to do this somehow?
>

Sure, but there is no such thing as a "COBOL database." COBOL can write
files in any format. There are some file structures that are compiler
dependent, used for internal processes.

If you have one of these internal formats (usually ISAM and its relatives),
you are better off by having a COBOL programmer write you a back-pocket
program to copy the file to a form you can understand. This new program will
take less than an hour to code and test (more like ten minutes).

On Wed, 11 Oct 2006 10:35:01 -0500, "Heybub" <HeybubNOSPAM@gmail.com>
wrote:

>Lorenzo Bettini wrote: 
>
>Sure, but there is no such thing as a "COBOL database." COBOL can write
>files in any format. There are some file structures that are compiler
>dependent, used for internal processes.
>
>If you have one of these internal formats (usually ISAM and its relatives),
>you are better off by having a COBOL programmer write you a back-pocket
>program to copy the file to a form you can understand. This new program wil
l
>take less than an hour to code and test (more like ten minutes).
>
This assuming that the FD's of the files are available, and also that
the record layout (if not the same as the FD's) is also available.


Frederico Fonseca
ema il: frederico_fonseca at syssoft-int.com