Cobol for Windows with no run-time fees 1

[klm2klm2]

Hello All,

I'm looking for a Cobol IDE/compiler that:

1. Runs and has developer environment on Windows
2. Creates Windows GUI apps
3. Uses MS Access (or ODBC) database
4. Is reasonably priced
5. Has no run-time fees

Does such an animal exist? Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Kim

 

[etom]

It depends on what you consider resonably priced. Fujitsu PowerCobol (Cobol for Windows) will foot the bill however the price is up there.

Fujitsu does have a free-bee version of thier compiler you can download however, I do not believe it has ODBC capabilities.

All the good ones cost quite a bit.

 

[TonHu]

Have you had a look at Kobol, from the Kompany? It can be found at

http://www.thekompany.com/products/kobol/

I don't know the product, but have heard of it beeing a cheap Cobol variant, but also don't know much about features etc. Just have a look at their site, it's also not very pricey ($59.95) so it could be worth a shot ;-)

HTH
TonHu

 

[WMK]

You might want to check out the section:

"3. Where can I get a COBOL compiler?"

in the COBOL FAQ at:

http://cobolreport.com/faqs/cobolfaq.htm#Section3

Getting a "good" IDE, no run-time fees, and Windows /ODBC support will (I think) be a "challenge". However, only you can compare and contrast the trade-offs of what each compiler offers.

P.S. For those who are NOT familiar with the current "freebee" Fujitsu product, it includes the following statement at:

http://www.adtools.com/download/v3starter/index.htm#sysreq

"In the free version of Fujitsu COBOL Version 3 both ODBC connectivity and optimization are disabled."

Also, at

http://www.netcobol.com/student/index.htm

"For those of you who are learning COBOL on your own or taking a COBOL class and need a COBOL compiler to experiment with - but NOT create production applications - we provide Fujitsu COBOL Version 3 for FREE. Note that this is a back-level version of Fujitsu COBOL. It provides support for ANSI Standard COBOL, many Fujitsu COBOL extensions, is fully Windows compatible, and contains a complete set of softcopy manuals. It is not a product we actively support and as such it is not viable for creating production applications; however, it is fully stable and excellent for most COBOL exercises."

"

Bill Klein