Setting up the COBOL environment is a crucial step before you start writing and running COBOL programs. This section will guide you through the process of setting up a COBOL development environment on your computer.
- Choosing a COBOL Compiler
There are several COBOL compilers available, both free and commercial. Here are some popular options:
- GnuCOBOL: An open-source COBOL compiler that is widely used for learning and development.
- Micro Focus COBOL: A commercial COBOL compiler with extensive features and support.
- IBM COBOL: A commercial compiler used primarily on IBM mainframes.
For this course, we will use GnuCOBOL due to its accessibility and ease of use.
- Installing GnuCOBOL
Windows
-
Download GnuCOBOL:
- Visit the official GnuCOBOL website or a trusted repository to download the Windows installer.
-
Run the Installer:
- Double-click the downloaded installer file and follow the on-screen instructions to install GnuCOBOL.
-
Set Environment Variables:
- Add the GnuCOBOL
bindirectory to your system's PATH environment variable to easily access the compiler from the command line.
- Add the GnuCOBOL
macOS
-
Install Homebrew (if not already installed):
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)" -
Install GnuCOBOL:
brew install gnu-cobol
Linux
-
Update Package List:
sudo apt-get update -
Install GnuCOBOL:
sudo apt-get install open-cobol
- Verifying the Installation
After installing GnuCOBOL, verify the installation by checking the version of the compiler.
Windows
Open Command Prompt and type:
macOS and Linux
Open Terminal and type:
You should see output similar to:
- Setting Up an IDE (Optional)
While you can write COBOL programs using any text editor, using an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) can enhance your productivity. Some popular IDEs for COBOL include:
- Visual Studio Code: A free, open-source editor with extensions for COBOL syntax highlighting and debugging.
- Eclipse: A powerful IDE with COBOL plugins available.
Visual Studio Code
-
Download and Install Visual Studio Code:
- Visit the Visual Studio Code website and download the installer for your operating system.
-
Install COBOL Extension:
- Open Visual Studio Code.
- Go to the Extensions view by clicking the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar on the side of the window.
- Search for "COBOL" and install the COBOL extension.
Eclipse
-
Download and Install Eclipse:
- Visit the Eclipse website and download the installer for your operating system.
-
Install COBOL Plugin:
- Open Eclipse.
- Go to
Help>Eclipse Marketplace. - Search for "COBOL" and install the COBOL plugin.
- Writing Your First COBOL Program
Let's write a simple COBOL program to ensure everything is set up correctly.
Example Program: Hello World
Create a new file named hello.cob and add the following code:
IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.
PROGRAM-ID. HELLO-WORLD.
PROCEDURE DIVISION.
DISPLAY 'Hello, World!'.
STOP RUN.Compiling and Running the Program
Windows
Open Command Prompt and navigate to the directory containing hello.cob:
macOS and Linux
Open Terminal and navigate to the directory containing hello.cob:
You should see the output:
Conclusion
In this section, you have learned how to set up the COBOL environment on different operating systems, including installing the GnuCOBOL compiler and optionally setting up an IDE. You also wrote and ran your first COBOL program. With your environment ready, you are now prepared to dive deeper into COBOL programming in the upcoming modules.