tiny-cobol-users

[Tiny-cobol-users] Open source COBOL G/L?

[John R. C. <jo...@we...>]

Eons ago (well about 20 years ago) I developed my own version of a G/L system 
in RM COBOL and offered it for sale even. Well, I have lost all the source 
code and don't have the energy or perhaps even the skill level to start all 
over. I have been looking at some freeware/shareware GL packages but they all 
have installation headaches and are written in Perl or php with a Postgres or 
MySql backend etc. etc.

I am looking for the eqivalent in COBOL, for free or close to free. I don't 
have a problem with adapting someone else's code to my particular flavor of 
COBOL or my particular needs. But I prefer not to reinvent the entire wheel 
once again.  

Is there any hope or should I just climb down in the trench and start digging?
I have both O-C and T-C up and running on my Linux Slackware ver 11 system. 
-- 
John Culleton
Able Indexing and Typesetting
Precision typesetting (tm) at reasonable cost.
Satisfaction guaranteed. 
http://wexfordpress.com

Re: [Tiny-cobol-users] Open source COBOL G/L?

[David E. <de...@us...>]

John R. Culleton wrote:

 > Eons ago (well about 20 years ago) I developed my own
 > version of a G/L system in RM COBOL and offered it for
 > sale even.
 > Well, I have lost all the source code and don't have
 > the energy or perhaps even the skill level to start all over.
 > ...

If per chance you still have the binaries, and they happen to be DOS 
binaries (16 bit), you may still be able to use them on Linux and Win32.

I have an old 16-bit (DOS) COBOL compiler, I picked up at a yard sale.
Using DOSEMU and freeDOS, I can compile and run COBOL 16-bit DOS 
programs on Linux.

It will also run on Win32, well Win9x, I have not tried it on W2K/XP.
It does require a special 16-bit linker to create executables on Win32, 
which can (or useto) be found on one of the MS web sites for free.

Still, a lot of these COBOL compilers create some sort of object code, 
which require a run-time program, and this does complicate matters.
But still, DOSEMU and freeDOS are easy to install and run, so it may be 
worth a try.

Anyway, hope this helps.

Re: [Tiny-cobol-users] Open source COBOL G/L?

[John R. C. <jo...@we...>]

On Sunday 24 December 2006 20:12, David Essex wrote:
> John R. Culleton wrote:
>  > Eons ago (well about 20 years ago) I developed my own
>  > version of a G/L system in RM COBOL and offered it for
>  > sale even.
>  > Well, I have lost all the source code and don't have
>  > the energy or perhaps even the skill level to start all over.
>  > ...
>
> If per chance you still have the binaries, and they happen to be DOS
> binaries (16 bit), you may still be able to use them on Linux and Win32.
>
> I have an old 16-bit (DOS) COBOL compiler, I picked up at a yard sale.
> Using DOSEMU and freeDOS, I can compile and run COBOL 16-bit DOS
> programs on Linux.
>
> It will also run on Win32, well Win9x, I have not tried it on W2K/XP.
> It does require a special 16-bit linker to create executables on Win32,
> which can (or useto) be found on one of the MS web sites for free.
>
> Still, a lot of these COBOL compilers create some sort of object code,
> which require a run-time program, and this does complicate matters.
> But still, DOSEMU and freeDOS are easy to install and run, so it may be
> worth a try.
>
> Anyway, hope this helps.

Unfortunately the source files and the executables are at the bottom of our 
landfill, along with the 8 inch floppies and the Tandy 6000.  All I have left 
is some docementation and the source listings from two utilities, a screen 
writer and a menu maker.  I threw out most of the source about 15 years ago. 
I also have the file layout from the orginal ledger accounts file. But I used 
an hierachical file comprising a linked list, physically based on an IS file 
with one alternate key. It was deucedly clever and I doubt if I am that 
clever any more.  worst ase I will try to relive  

But thanks for your reply, and Merry Christmas.

-- 
John Culleton
Able Indexing and Typesetting
Precision typesetting (tm) at reasonable cost.
Satisfaction guaranteed. 
http://wexfordpress.com

Re: [Tiny-cobol-users] Open source COBOL G/L?

[David E. <de...@us...>]

John R. Culleton wrote:

 > Unfortunately the source files and the executables
 > are at the bottom of our landfill, along with the
 > 8 inch floppies and the Tandy 6000.

Unfortunate, as some of these old and rare machines are now
considered antiques, and may be worth some money.

Did you know that you can now buy kits to assemble your own vintage era 
Apple I.

And in some parts of silicon valley, it is Geek-sheik to attend seminars 
were you can assemble and test one of these kits.

... one too many cafe-latte, I think.

 > All I have left is some docementation and the source
 > listings from two utilities, a screen writer and a
 > menu maker.
 > I threw out most of the source about 15 years ago.

Seams to be common practice, even with mainframe shops, to discard the
sources.

Re: [Tiny-cobol-users] Open source COBOL G/L?

[John R. C. <jo...@we...>]

On Friday 29 December 2006 02:48, David Essex wrote:
> John R. Culleton wrote:
>  > Unfortunately the source files and the executables
>  > are at the bottom of our landfill, along with the
>  > 8 inch floppies and the Tandy 6000.

>  > All I have left is some docementation and the source
>  > listings from two utilities, a screen writer and a
>  > menu maker.
>  > I threw out most of the source about 15 years ago.
>
> Seams to be common practice, even with mainframe shops, to discard the
> sources.
>
Usually this happens when the outfit is reorganized and/or moves to new space.
In my case the (new) wife insisted that the basement be converted from dungeon 
to family room, which meant covering over my ugly but useful built in 
shelving, which meant---. But I should have squirreled away the source 
listings nevertheless. Who knew?

-- 
John Culleton
Able Indexing and Typesetting
Precision typesetting (tm) at reasonable cost.
Satisfaction guaranteed. 
http://wexfordpress.com