Here are the newest GnuCOBOL 3.2 Release Candidate 2 (10Feb2023) download binaries built with MinGW Gnu Compiler Collection 9.2.0. GnuCOBOL 3.2 includes PDCursesMod 4.3.5/wincon. It also includes GCSORT.EXE and support for the COBOL ReportWriter. You can download a 7-Zip binary and rename the file extension from "7z" to "exe", and run it as a self-installing archive. Then see the STARTHERE.txt file, or open a cmd.exe window in the install folder, and run "set_env.cmd" to set the environment variables.
The compressed binaries build with the older 32-bit MinGW toolchain are about 30 megabytes each, and expand to about 160 Megabytes when installed.
You have a choice of versions using Oracle Berkeley DataBase (BDB) for ISAM support, or VBISAM 2.1.1 (VBI) for ISAM support, or NODB for a compile without any Indexed Sequential Access Method. Note that VBISAM has been upgraded from 2.0.1 to 2.1.1.
Kind regards,
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I have a clarifying question.
Could you make explicit and list what are the differences between the version of the GnuCOBOL compiler with MSYS and the version with MinGW that you have prepared ?
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Eugenio,
I have a preference for the compilers built with MinGW (32-bit) because they are smaller (about 150 to 160 megabytes uncompressed). But it is more tedious to build them. I started out with MinGW 32 because Gary Cutler used that to build the first Windows download binary of OpenCOBOL 1.1 back in 2009, including a "cookbook" build guide.
Wikipedia has good articles on MinGW32 and MinGW64/MSYS2, which explain the differences and history of the two toolchains:
Thanks to the work of Chuck Haatvedt and Simon Sobisch, it is now much easier to build Windows MinGW64/MSYS2 binaries of GnuCOBOL using scripts. I hope to add VBISAM to the available MSYS2 GnuCOBOL binaries in the future, although there is a lot of work that needs to be done on VBISAM/V-ISAM.
MSYS2 builds of GnuCOBOL tend to be about 600 to 700 megabytes uncompressed, if Python and Gnu Debugger support is included.
I was on your website and noticed a build kit v0.6. Basically worked like a dream, except for compile and install of vbisam. I was performing the 64 bit install. It was looking for a download directory that does not exist. I commented out first couple of commands. I put a copy of a patched version of vbisam I had. The version of GnuCOBOL it was pulling was rc1, not rc2. I changed the version.
Like I said, it was super cool. It is the best way to install GnuCOBOL on Windows. I know a number of people have asked about a install package.
Again, great job by everyone involved.
Rich Di Iulio
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Here are the newest GnuCOBOL 3.2 Release Candidate 2 (10Feb2023) download binaries built with MinGW Gnu Compiler Collection 9.2.0. GnuCOBOL 3.2 includes PDCursesMod 4.3.5/wincon. It also includes GCSORT.EXE and support for the COBOL ReportWriter. You can download a 7-Zip binary and rename the file extension from "7z" to "exe", and run it as a self-installing archive. Then see the STARTHERE.txt file, or open a cmd.exe window in the install folder, and run "set_env.cmd" to set the environment variables.
https://www.arnoldtrembley.com/GC32-BDB-rc2-rename-7z-to-exe.7z
https://www.arnoldtrembley.com/GC32-VBI-rc2-rename-7z-to-exe.7z
https://www.arnoldtrembley.com/GC32-NODB-rc2-rename-7z-to-exe.7z
https://www.arnoldtrembley.com/GnuCOBOL-3.2-MinGW-Build-Guide-V1.6.pdf
https://www.arnoldtrembley.com/GnuCOBOL-3.2-MinGW-Build-Guide-V1.6.docx
The compressed binaries build with the older 32-bit MinGW toolchain are about 30 megabytes each, and expand to about 160 Megabytes when installed.
You have a choice of versions using Oracle Berkeley DataBase (BDB) for ISAM support, or VBISAM 2.1.1 (VBI) for ISAM support, or NODB for a compile without any Indexed Sequential Access Method. Note that VBISAM has been upgraded from 2.0.1 to 2.1.1.
Kind regards,
A great job very useful for everyone!
I have a clarifying question.
Could you make explicit and list what are the differences between the version of the GnuCOBOL compiler with MSYS and the version with MinGW that you have prepared ?
Eugenio,
I have a preference for the compilers built with MinGW (32-bit) because they are smaller (about 150 to 160 megabytes uncompressed). But it is more tedious to build them. I started out with MinGW 32 because Gary Cutler used that to build the first Windows download binary of OpenCOBOL 1.1 back in 2009, including a "cookbook" build guide.
Wikipedia has good articles on MinGW32 and MinGW64/MSYS2, which explain the differences and history of the two toolchains:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MinGW
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mingw-w64
Thanks to the work of Chuck Haatvedt and Simon Sobisch, it is now much easier to build Windows MinGW64/MSYS2 binaries of GnuCOBOL using scripts. I hope to add VBISAM to the available MSYS2 GnuCOBOL binaries in the future, although there is a lot of work that needs to be done on VBISAM/V-ISAM.
MSYS2 builds of GnuCOBOL tend to be about 600 to 700 megabytes uncompressed, if Python and Gnu Debugger support is included.
Chuck Haatvedt has created a patched version of VBISAM 2.1.1 which should build correctly in MSYS2, either 32-bit or 64-bit.
https://www.arnoldtrembley.com/vbisam-2.1.1-ChuckH.7z
This is the first time I have built VBISAM 2.1.1 using MinGW32. Before that I had been using VBISAM 2.0.1.
I hope that helps. Please feel free to ask follow-up questions.
Hi Arnold,
I was on your website and noticed a build kit v0.6. Basically worked like a dream, except for compile and install of vbisam. I was performing the 64 bit install. It was looking for a download directory that does not exist. I commented out first couple of commands. I put a copy of a patched version of vbisam I had. The version of GnuCOBOL it was pulling was rc1, not rc2. I changed the version.
Like I said, it was super cool. It is the best way to install GnuCOBOL on Windows. I know a number of people have asked about a install package.
Again, great job by everyone involved.
Rich Di Iulio
You might want to email Chuck Haatvedt about using MSYS2 to build GnuCOBOL with VBISAM 2.1.1.
It should just be a change to the .sh scripts for 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
Kind regards,