Re: Thoughts on MF COBOL, Unix, and RDBMS

Some comments on Micro Focus compilers, SQL, Unix, et al

At the time that Micro Focus had 3 products for DOS-OS/2
- Compiler
- Toolset
- Workbench

Micro Focus sold 2 products for Unix
- Compiler
- Toolbox

Micro Focus sold (for Windows-OS/2) a SEPARATE "XDB" product which was their
first "SQL" product (and was definitely a DB2 emulator). Later products
included "built-in" SQL preprocessors (including PRO*COBOL at one stage - as an
option).

For as long as I can remember (since at least late 80's), Micro Focus has
supported the "preprocessor" directive on all platforms. For each of the
platforms that I remember, there were "add-on" SQL products. "Integrated" SQL
support (that was not an add-on product) was a "medium-late" addition from Micro
Focus (late '90s, I would guess).

As far as "rebadged" products go, "COBOL/2" (compiler only, and ASCII not
EBCDIC support) was a product available from either IBM or Micro Focus. (It was
"crippled" to NOT have EBCDIC support - or even '85 Standard support when you
bought the IBM version.). This was during the days when Microsoft and IBM were
still cooperating on OS/2. This product had support for an "MS" dialect that
did emulate a much earlier Microsoft developed/sold COBOL product.

The actual Microsoft "rebadged" COBOL product - that worked with the Microsoft
pwd (???) was "mostly" equivalent to COBOL 3.x from Micro Focus - but was
(again) a crippled product that didn't do every thing that the IBM or Micro
Focus products did, but WAS integrated into the Microsoft product line.

* * *

Bottom-Line (related to the ORIGINAL issues), I know of NO version of a Micro
Focus product (from the late '80s on) that did not "work with" SQL, but up thru
Server Express,(when talking about Unix) I would expect that you would need to
purchase the correct "add-on" SQL product and use the Micro Focus "preprocessor"
directive to get it to work on Unix.

Also, related to the original question, whether C-ISAM was used or not was
ALWAYS a "directive" question. For the Unix products, the "file-handler" was
always provided in a manner that could be changed by the user. Although it is
for a MUCH later Unix product, if you want to know about selecting C-ISAM vs
other file systems, check out:

http://supportline.microfocus.com/Documentation/books/sx50ws03/sx50indx.htm

then look at
"compiler directives"
and look for
"FILETYPE "
where value "1" is C-ISAM, but many other types are available.

--
Bill Klein
wmklein <at> ix.netcom.com


.

Relevant Pages

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  • Re: Thoughts on MF COBOL, Unix, and RDBMS
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