Using
JVM COBOL code has many advantages such as:
- Micro Focus COBOL already is a
Java language:
- The COBOL language has been extended over the years and supports a lot of the features in the
JVM.
In most cases, the process of moving to
JVM COBOL code entails recompiling the existing COBOL code to
JVM COBOL code in
Visual COBOL. Also, you can use the ILSMARTLINKAGE COBOL compiler directive to recompile to
JVM COBOL code (see the
Examples section in this topic). ILSMARTLINKAGE enables COBOL to interoperate with other managed languages.
- Take full advantage of the capabilities of the
JVM:
-
- Use the run-time system services provided by the
JVM - these provide for integrity and the security of your COBOL applications, and provide exception handling and garbage collection.
As the run-time system services optimize how your code executes, this results in improved application performance over time.
- Improve your application performance - the
JVM applies many optimizations including those based on how the code is actually executed at run time; therefore, it can make
optimizations that a static analysis cannot.
- Create your own
JVM COBOL objects - with
JVM COBOL you can do a lot of what you can do with any other managed languages, such as creating your own methods, classes, delegates, and interfaces. See
An Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming for COBOL Developers, available on the
Micro Focus Customer Support Documentation Web site.
- Easy to learn if you have experience with other managed languages - learning
JVM COBOL doesn't differ from learning any other managed language. If you already program in other managed languages, you only need to learn the syntax rules.
- Access a variety of reusable libraries of code - the
JAVA SDK includes large libraries of reusable code and constructs which you can reuse directly in
JVM COBOL code. This means you can easily solve just about any programming task, and be more productive in your work.
- COBOL can interoperate with other languages:
-
- Since all
JVM languages compile to the same
byte code, COBOL compiled to
JVM COBOL code can talk to other
JVM applications written in any other
JVM language, or be deployed on other
JVM platforms.
- COBOL can interoperate with other languages - other languages can call COBOL and vice versa.
- Debug COBOL and parts of your application in other
JVM languages together. You can step between the COBOL code and the code written in the other
JVM language.
- Create new, modern user interfaces:
- Using
JVM COBOL code is a great way to modernize the look and feel of your applications by taking advantage of the many UI frameworks that are available for the JVM.
- Deploy to Java application servers:
- Java application servers are required when you provide "thin" client architecture for your applications. End users use a thin
client installed on their machines to communicate with the main program which is deployed on the application server and processes
all requests.
Visual COBOL supports all major Java application servers and enables you to create and deploy COBOL applications on Java application servers
as Web services or Java interfaces.
- Create applications for deployment on the Web and mobile:
- Modern application servers are designed to be used by applications written in a managed language such as C#, Java, and
JVM COBOL. Using native COBOL for applications you upload to the server might not be possible or could lead to instabilities if the
native program terminates due to an error condition.