Running Older RMcobol DOS Programs on Windows 2

[zalmanp]

Hi,
I have a complete system that was written in RMCobol for DOS and runs ok on windows 95 under the "DOS cmd prompt". I have the source code too and I am able to comile and run the software without any problems.

I need to move this over to a W2K machine. I tried copying the complete system but now I am getting errors, as follows:

------------ Compiling ----------
C:\DOCUME~1>rmcobol fl1.cbl
RM/COBOL Compiler (ver 1.5D) for IBM Personal Computer DOS
(c) Copyright 1982 by Ryan-McFarland Corp. All rights reserved.

Divide overflow
------------ Running -------------
C:\DOCUME~1>runcobol fl1.cbl
RM/COBOL Runtime (ver 1.5D) for IBM Personal Computer DOS
(c) Copyright 1982 by Ryan-McFarland Corp. All rights reserved.

MAIN PROGRAM LOAD FAIL

Any ideas? I tried running cmd /Y thinking that this might make it compatible but it had the same result.
What can I do to run this system on Windows 2000?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TonHu]

It's probably not the OS that is mucking up, but the high speed of the processor that runs faster then a timingloop on startup of the C runtime base can count. The counted result stays at 0, and is used to divide some factor, giving divide by zero...
Contact RM support for possible solutions, prob. have to upgrade to a newer version of the compiler.

HTH
TonHu

 

[ShadowFox333]

I am running lots of RM-cobol systems version 06.10.00
for DOS under command prompt using windows 2000 and have no problems at all. The cpu is intel 866. I you want me to try and run a few here and see if it happens to me let me know.
Enjoy Bob

 

[xyzzy]

Hi Zalmanp,

WOW! RM/COBOL 1.5D still running after 21 years! You've upgrade your operating systems a few times in the past two decades, maybe it's time to upgrade to version RM/COBOL 8.01 for 32-Bit Windows.

You will have to do some conversion to get from COBOL-74 to COBOL-85 but I think it will be worth it in the long run. Take a look at

http://www.liant.com

for more information or call 1-800-RMCOBOL.

Robert Heady
Liant Software Corp.

 

[k5tm]

To add to Rob's explanation...

RM/COBOL 1.5D is an older version of the old RM/COBOL(tm) based upon the 1974 ANSI/ISO standard. The current RM/COBOL was introduced late in 1985 and was called RM/COBOL-8X to differentiate it from the 1974-based compiler; it was called -8X because it was unclear whether the COBOL standard would be 1985 or 1986, even that late in the year. RM/COBOL-8X was renamed to RM/COBOL-85 with the release of its version 2. In the mid-1990s, after a decade of support for the older product, RM/COBOL (1974) was declared unsupported, and RM/COBOL-85 was renamed to be simply RM/COBOL(r). (The version 6.10 ShadowFox333 mentions is version 6 of the newer 1985 product.)

The older RM/COBOL (1974) was never tested on Windows since Ryan-McFarland Corporation did not have a Windows machine at the time (though we did have windows in our offices :-D).

My guess is that you have come across some incompatibility introduced in the "NT" series of Windows (not all Windows ports are the same), perhaps having to do with the file system. If you have any hope at all of having this software run on the Win2K platform, you will need to be brutal in your approach to making the command prompt into a DOS box. My guess is that there is some fundamental problem, since you are dealing with something that does not claim DOS compatibility. I can say for sure that TonHu's conjecture is almost certainly incorrect; for starters, if the runtime had been implemented in C, it would not fit on any but the most extravagent PCs available in the early 1980s.

I will reiterate Rob's suggestion: order the newer RM/COBOL which, I think, still contains some conversion tools (if not we might see if we can find some on older media). Confirm the period of 'free' support included in the cost of the product, and get your conversion work done within that timeframe. In the long run this will be the most cost effective approach.

Tom Morrison

http://www.liant.com

 

[ecichy]

W2k has two command prompts which act differently with DOS programs. There is the native cmd prompt and there is the command.com prompt which is the MSDOS prompt. I used Realia Cobol for DOS which used to create dual-mode exe's for running under DOS or OS2. This necessitated the use of the forcedos xxxxx.exe command when executing in the W2K or NT cmd prompt environment.

 

[TonHu]

In that timeframe, the runtimebase would have probably been written in assembler, but my guess stays the same. Divide by zero is still divide by zero... ;-)

HTH
TonHu

 

[zalmanp]

Wow! I'm really grateful for all your responses.
ecichy - I tried both cmd formats with the same results. I guess it's time to upgrade after 21 years. However, since it is written in standard cobol, my options are open to other cobol vendors. I am looking into Micro Focus Net Express (for another project). Does anyone know if that would be an option here? Any other Cobol Vendor suggestions?
Again, thanks for all your help. It is greatly appreciated.

 

[ecichy]

I use Computer Associates Advantage Realia Cobol Workbench with Norcom's GUIScreenio with Pervasive (Btrieve) as my data handler. It generates 32-bit Windows exe's. I've converted a number of my clients from DOS to Windows with relative ease. One of my clients still uses an old Microfocus DOS compiler version which runs under W2k with no problems. I'm sure that there are other solutions for you to evaluate. Good Luck! At least it's COBOL!

 

[ShadowFox333]

Hi Zal,
go into your web search engine and type in Kobol (with a K).
The Kobol Kompany sells a royalty free windows version for $60.00 and it generates exe files. I don't use it but the price seems nice.
Enjoy
Bob

 

[zalmanp]

Thanks. I'll look into it.
Zalman

 

[k5tm]

Zalman,

You might want to consider RM/COBOL which has changed a lot in 21 years. :-D

Tom Morrison

http://www.liant.com

 

[zalmanp]

Tom,
Thanks for your help. Since this is a small application I'm trying not to spend $1,500 (minimum) for your product.