Hey there, tech enthusiasts! 👋

Ever wanted to learn COBOL but got scared away by expensive enterprise licenses or lack of access to mainframe? Maybe you're a developer working on legacy system modernization but need a way to practice at home? Well, I've got some good news for you!

Why COBOL in 2025?

Despite being over 60 years old, COBOL is still running the core systems of many banks, insurance companies, and government agencies. Here's a surprising fact: there are over 220 billion lines of COBOL code still in active use!

But here's the catch - most COBOL development happens on expensive mainframe systems or with pricey enterprise compilers. That's where GnuCOBOL comes in to save the day.

What is GnuCOBOL?

Think of GnuCOBOL as the "Linux" of the COBOL world. It's:

• Completely free and open source
• Runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac
• Compatible with most COBOL standards
• Perfect for learning and development

Real-World Example: AWS Card Demo Application

I'm currently working on modernizing the AWS Card Demo application using GnuCOBOL. This project is perfect for learning because:

1. It's a real-world-like credit card processing system
2. Uses common mainframe patterns
3. Includes both batch and online components

Getting Started with GnuCOBOL

Here's a simple example to show you how easy it is. Let's write a basic COBOL program:

       IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
       PROGRAM-ID. HELLO.

       PROCEDURE DIVISION.
           DISPLAY "Hello, Modern COBOL Developer!".
           STOP RUN.

To compile and run this on GnuCOBOL:

# Compile
cobc -x hello.cob

# Run
./hello

Common Challenges and Solutions

When moving from enterprise COBOL to GnuCOBOL, you might face some challenges:

1. File Handling

Enterprise COBOL uses VSAM files, but in GnuCOBOL we can use:

SELECT CUSTOMER-FILE
       ASSIGN TO "customer.dat"
       ORGANIZATION IS LINE SEQUENTIAL.

2. Copybook Management

Set up your copybook path:

export COB_COPY_DIR=/path/to/your/copybooks

What's Next?

I'm creating a series of tutorials and YouTube videos about COBOL modernization using GnuCOBOL. We'll cover:

1. Setting up your development environment
2. Converting mainframe programs
3. Working with files and databases
4. Building modern interfaces
5. Complete project walkthrough

Get Involved!

• Subscribe to my YouTube channel for video tutorials, Instagram
• Follow me here on dev.to for more COBOL content

Let's Connect!

Are you working with COBOL? Interested in legacy modernization? Drop a comment below! I'd love to hear about your experiences and what topics you'd like me to cover next.

Remember: COBOL might be old, but it's far from dead. And with tools like GnuCOBOL, it's more accessible than ever!

Happy coding! 🚀

cobol #programming #legacy #modernization

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