How to read files written with COBOL

[Steve Holden]

Batista, Facundo wrote:

> [John Roth]
> 
> #- What's the OS for the two languages? COBOL from mainframe
> #- to X86ish is very different from some flavor of Windows or Unix
> #- COBOL.
> 
> COBOL RM-85 for x86 under SCO.
> 
> 
> #- Also, are we talking fixed or variable length records? And if
> #- variable, how are they structured?
> 
> There're a lot of different structures, there're a lot of files. I was 
> thinking of a function where I tell the COBOL file structure and it 
> translates it to me.
> 
> 
> #- In either case, I think the struct module (under String Services)
> #- is what you're looking for.
> 
> I think that if I must *build* the module that I'm looking for, I'll use 
> the struct module. But that I can not use it directly without a lot of 
> effort (that I'm willing to avoid: that's why I'm searching for 
> something already done, :)
> 
So what you'd like is to be able to process a set of COBOL PICTURE 
specifications and produce a program module that could read the file 
described? I suspect you'll have to write that yourself. But think how 
many other people will find it useful!

regards
  Steve