Anything like Acu4GL for Micro Focus COBOL?

[Phil_L]

We have both native COBOL and Visual COBOL projects that access ISAM files. A friend of mine who is an ACUCOBOL developer used Acu4GL to turn ISAM files into database tables and then access them as a relational database.  The COBOL code didn't change but behind the scenes Acu4GL turned read and write statements into sequel queries. Also, when a file was opened output, Acu4GL would create a database table instead of an empty ISAM file so he didn't have to spend a lot of time defining database tables.

We are looking for a similar product that will work for Micro Focus COBOL. Our application uses about 200 ISAM files, a number of which have multiple record formats, and we are looking for a way to convert them to a database without too much work. Once converted, we want our COBOL read, write, etc statements to be interpreted as sequel queries without having to make code changes.

We're looking into Micro Focus Relativity, which might be an option, but it uses ISAM files and allows applications to access them as though they were a relational database.

[morganmsuk]

I think Acu4GL is now known as Micro Focus Database Connectors
www.microfocus.com/.../

Speak to your Micro Focus rep to obtain this add-on.

[Phil_L]

Thanks. I see that Micro Focus Database Connectors is a similar product.

We have already converted several of our key ISAM files to Sqlite database files. Will Database Connectors work with Sqlite?

Each company that uses our application has a separate directory holding its data files, and each company is made up of one or more business entities and each business entity has its own set of data files. With Sqlite we can create one database file for each entity. So we really need separate databases for each entity. If Database Connectors doesn't support Sqlite we might have to use Microsoft Sequel Server, but only if would let us maintain separate databases for each entity. Does Sequel Server allow this?

Our data files reside on the user's computer, not on a server.

[shjerpe]

Database Connectors supports SQL Server, DB2 and Oracle. It does not support Sqlite. I'm not sure how to respond to the separate databases for each entity. Typically an ISAM file exists as a separate table within the Database.

[Mike S]

<<Our application uses about 200 ISAM files, a number of which have multiple record formats, and we are looking for a way to convert them to a database without too much work. Once converted, we want our COBOL read, write, etc statements to be interpreted as sequel queries without having to make code changes.>>

With Relativity, you could accomplish what you wish without converting your files, or changing your COBOL program. Its intension is to allow a SQL (ODBC) application to connect to the same data files as your COBOL program and interoperate with it at the same time as your COBOL program. It has write support to the COBOL files, but its real purpose is performing queries. (Interoperating with the COBOL program on record locks is tricky, since the COBOL program may have been designed with a specific record locking scheme, especially if it want to lock out other COBOL programs while it updates multiple record. Since Relativity isn't aware of the scheme in use, we don't recommend using the write support with a live COBOL application.)

<<Each company that uses our application has a separate directory holding its data files, and each company is made up of one or more business entities and each business entity has its own set of data files.>>

Relativity will allow you to treat all of the business entities with one database. A column would be created in each table that you can use to select which entity you wish to work with and, of course, you can perform SELECTs across multiple entities, or just limit the query to a single one. Whatever you wish.

Of course, if you really want the data in a SQL database, then you want Database Connectors.