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Introducing Pro*COBOL

This chapter describes the Oracle programmatic interface for the COBOL language running under the Windows NT and Windows 95/98 operating systems. Specific topics discussed are:

• What is Pro*COBOL?

• What is Release 1.8.28?

• PL/SQL Support

• Features

• Restrictions

What is Pro*COBOL?

To access an Oracle8 database, you use a high-level query language called Structured Query Language (SQL). You often use SQL through an interactive interface, such as SQL*Plus.

Pro*COBOL is a precompiler that converts SQL statements embedded within COBOL programs into standard Oracle run-time library calls. The output file can then be compiled by a COBOL compiler.

Additional Information: For more information, see the Pro*COBOL Precompiler Programmer's Guide.

Use the Pro*COBOL precompiler when rapid development and compatibility with other systems are your priorities. Pro*COBOL supports the following compilers:

• Fujitsu COBOL version 4.0 or later for 32-bit Windows NT and Windows 95/98

  Note: Pro*COBOL does not support the following Fujitsu COBOL extensions: USAGE BIT clause in data description entry CHARACTER TYPE clause in data description entry PRINTING POSITION clause in data description entry @OPTIONS compiler option directing statement Literal coded on column 73 or later

• MERANT Micro Focus NetExpress version 3.0 for 32-bit Windows NT and Windows 95

  Note: Pro*COBOL does not support Object Oriented COBOL (OOCOBOL) specifications for either compiler.

What is Release 1.8.28?

Oracle Corporation expects that any application written for Pro*COBOL release 1.8.x should precompile successfully with Pro*COBOL release 8.0.6. However, some vendor extensions may not be accepted and the application may not precompile successfully when migrating from release 1.8.x to release 8.0.6.

Note: To install Pro*COBOL release 1.8.28, you need to choose Custom Installation when installing the Oracle programmer products.

If you simply want to migrate a release 1.8.x application to release 8.0.6 without using any of the new features of Pro*COBOL version 8, but the application does not precompile successfully, then do the following:

• Use release 1.8.28.

• Report the problem to Oracle Support Services.

  Note: Oracle Corporation recommends that you use release 8.0.6 to develop new applications.

Because of these two releases, your Oracle home directory can contain two directories for Pro*COBOL:

This Directory...	Contains...
ORACLE_HOME\PRO80	Pro*COBOL release 8.0.6
ORACLE_HOME\PRO18	Pro*COBOL release 1.8.28

PL/SQL Support

This release of Pro*COBOL supports PL/SQL release 8.0, Oracle's procedural language extension to the SQL language standard for enhancing performance of the Oracle database.

Additional Information: For more information on PL/SQL, see the PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference. For more information on embedding PL/SQL in your Pro*COBOL applications, see Chapter 6 of the Pro*COBOL Precompiler Programmer's Guide.

Features

Pro*COBOL supports the following:

• Oracle databases release 8.0

• embedded PL/SQL blocks

• bundled database calls, which can provide better performance in client/server environments

• full ANSI compliance for embedded SQL programming

• calls to PL/SQL stored procedures

Restrictions

Pro*COBOL does not support the following:

• user exits

• access to the Oracle Call Interface

• Oracle8 object types

• graphical user interface

• 16-bit code generation