minimal GnuCOBOL configuration to start with using a C85 compiler for a small environment

[Michael Sommer]

OK.

I now this is a unusual request, but I would like to run COBOL on a Micro Controller. The controller I have in mind does provide a C compiler based on LCC, as far as I understand C85.

I do not want to compile on the MC, just run Programs.

So all those nifty things like ncurses, BDB and such are out of question. I need to go as bare as GnuCOBOL could get.

How would I start to compile a Program on windows and keep the C sources to figure out how to compile them for my target?

please advice,

Mike

[Mickey White]

compile options are your friend.

-C translation only; convert COBOL to C 

--save-temps[=<dir>] save intermediate files
       * default: current directory

[Mickey White]

The save all temps option would be best:

D:\Old Hard Drive\Documents\Computer Stuff\TEMPS>cobc -x --save-temps call2ae.cbl

D:\Old Hard Drive\Documents\Computer Stuff\TEMPS>ls -lrt | tail -10
-rw-r--r-- 1 19012 19012        2494 Jun  1 19:44 call2ae.i
-rw-r--r-- 1 19012 19012        1707 Jun  1 19:44 call2ae.c.l.h
-rw-r--r-- 1 19012 19012         816 Jun  1 19:44 call2ae.c.h
-rw-r--r-- 1 19012 19012        9851 Jun  1 19:44 call2ae.c
-rw-r--r-- 1 19012 19012        7520 Jun  1 19:44 call2ae.o
-rwxr-xr-x 1 19012 19012       54881 Jun  1 19:44 call2ae.exe

D:\Old Hard Drive\Documents\Computer Stuff\TEMPS>

[Simon Sobisch]

The first thing you have to do is: get a cross compiler that compiles for this target.
The second thing would be to get GMP for the micro controller, preferably pre-built, otherwise cross-compiled yourself. The last thing would be to generate a libcob by cross-compile.

Once this runs on the controller, the rest is easy.

[Simon Sobisch]

So do you have a "Windows to MC" cross-compiler ready?

If not and it isn't readily available it will likely easier to setup WSL and use a cross-compiler there.
In any case the MC would need to have at least a 32bit C library (or be able to use a static linked one into libcob).

As you've mentioned - there is commonly no need to compile on the MC, but if you want to run it there you either have to get a working libgmp to be used by libcob or adjust GnuCOBOL to not use GMP (possible if for example you adjust it to do everything in PACKED-DECIMAL/native integer - which will limit the number of digits to 38/19, it likely would be most reasonable to just abort where GMP is used, then hack libcob to do the pieces you need, step by step]).

[Michael Sommer]

sadly this is a quite new MC so neither GCC or GMP is available. Libc is supported as of C85.

So the only way I see is static linking anyways, this will be a interesting excurse

Mike

[Simon Sobisch]

As everything is wrapped within libcob you "only" would need to create that, linking in a static libc and libgmp.
The first big issue is to get the necessary C cross compiler working, the second one is to use that for creating a static libgmp for that target.

[Simon Sobisch]

Four months are "quite some time" for IT, so @msrobots:
* Is there a C compiler, possibly GCC running on that controller?
* Is there a prebuilt GMP available, if not can you compile that on the controller using the available C compiler?
* Any progress/plans with this project?