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"being able to generate and parse complex XML so quickly impressed our XML teams."
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Redvers Cobol XML Interface
The Redvers COBOL XML Interface gives COBOL applications fast efficient access to the world of XML and web services. This off-the-shelf software is written in pure COBOL and simply requires the coding of a COBOL record layout and CALL statement to generate or parse any well-formed XML document.
Main features:
- Runs on all COBOL platforms
- Distributed in COBOL source code (cloaked)
- Parser includes a SELECT function to extract XML data
- Easy maintenance
- Fast, efficient, professional and fully scalable
- No training needed for COBOL programmers
- Supports XML attributes, namespaces, SOAP, entities, CDATA, duplicate tag names and mixed content elements
- Free schema to copybook build tool
- Batch and on-line versions available
- Free 30 day trial
The Redvers COBOL XML Interface operates at record level, intelligently building all necessary XML element structures when generating and correctly interpreting XML structures when parsing. This approach replaces complex element level application logic with a single CALL statement that passes the next logical record to/from the application.
The interface is currently used by customers all over the world, running on iSeries/AS400, UNIX, HP, CA-Realia, Fujitsu Siemens BS2000, Micro Focus and IBM mainframe platforms. It is frequently used in Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) projects and to integrate XML messages on IBM's MQ Series with core COBOL applications. It is also suitable for generating and parsing SWIFTNet messages and Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) applications.
Download a PDF white paper on COBOL XML interfaces here:
How it Works
Before a COBOL application generates or parses XML, a COBOL Record Definition (CRD) must be coded, consisting of a working storage field definition for each field used by the application (the schema to copybook build tool can be used for this). The CRD is then placed in the standard copybook library and a COPY/INCLUDE statement for the CRD is added to the application code.
At run time, the interface modules read the CRD source code from the copybook library in order to interpret the passed COBOL layout.
To generate XML, the COBOL application populates the CRD and passes it to the generation subroutine (RCCOBXML) which writes the XML document.
To parse XML, the COBOL application calls the parser subroutine (RCXMLCOB) which reads the XML document and returns the data in the CRD fields.
The batch generation/parsing process is illustrated below:
Technical Information
The Redvers COBOL XML Interface operates at any of five levels:
- Batch level directly reads and writes XML documents of unlimited size, to and from external files.
- Message level runs in batch mode but accepts and returns XML documents to/from linkage.
- CICS level runs under a CICS transaction, holding the XML document in storage.
- Standalone level can run in batch or on-line modes, as a logic only routine, requiring no external data access (suitable for an Enterprise Service Bus in SOA environments).
- Superfast level is designed for high transaction throughput in large installations. This level can also run in batch or on-line modes.
To compare the different characteristics of each interface level, download a PDF comparison chart.
Each level consists of a pair of COBOL subroutines that generate or parse XML. Very large document sizes and element repetitions are handled by issuing multiple calls to these subroutines. This enables the interface to process complex XML documents without consuming large amounts of storage.
The programs are sold in source code form which permits changes to certain values that would normally be fixed. These values are known as User Maintained Variables (UMV). Examples of UMV's are the PROGRAM-ID and external file names, which can be changed to comply with site standards or application requirements. Full details on all UMV's can be found in the product user guides.
In order to protect both clients and authors from unauthorized code changes, the subroutine source code is cloaked using the Redvers Cloaking Device. This process makes no logical difference to the code but renders it unintelligible to humans.
The COBOL Record Definition (CRD) can be coded to generate/parse any XML tag names, attributes, namespaces, SOAP and mixed content elements. The appearance of data within XML elements is controlled using standard COBOL picture editing symbols.
The generated well-formed XML standalone document conforms to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) 1.0 definition.
XML generation rate is 7.8 megabytes per second; parsing rate is 4.3 megabytes per second. All benchmark timings were performed on an IBM zSeries mainframe running z/OS 1.10. Maximum document size is 99 megabytes (except Batch level which has no limit).
Sample Output
An example of XML produced by the Redvers COBOL XML Interface:
This product is listed in the IBM Global Solutions Directory and The COBOL Center Tools web site.