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Currently our ACUCOBOL (compiler v.10.3.1) print modules use WIN$PRINT to create PDF files using locally installed PDFCreator (on the user’s Windows machine) and -P SPOOLER. We are looking for an alternate solution which will enable us to use a PDF printer installed on the Linux server instead. All the options we’ve explored so far, incl. cupspdf; C$PDF and -P PDF involve extensive code changes or loss of predefined formatting. Is there a solution available which will allow us to do the conversion with minimal code impact?
Hi everyone,COBOL is known for its exceptional portability. Applications written decades ago continue to run reliably on today's platforms, from latest versions of operational systems to multicloud environments and ARM.Beyond deployment, COBOL applications integrate seamlessly with today’s IT ecosystems, including containers, APIs, microservices, .NET, Java, and CI/CD pipelines.This level of portability helps you preserve core business logic while still moving quickly to adopt new technologies.If your business requires a platform update, database integration, or cloud deployment, check out the list of supported platforms for Rocket COBOL:The list of supported platforms: linkAny questions or platform suggestions for the future updates? Let us know in the comments.
Hi everyone,COBOL (and ACUCOBOL) is known for its exceptional portability. Applications written decades ago continue to run reliably on today's platforms, from latest versions of operational systems to multicloud environments. Beyond deployment, COBOL applications integrate seamlessly with today’s IT ecosystems, including containers, APIs, microservices, .NET, Java, and CI/CD pipelines.This level of portability helps you preserve core business logic while still moving quickly to adopt new technologies.If your business requires a platform update, database integration, or cloud deployment, check out the list of supported platforms for Rocket ACUCOBOL:The list of supported platforms: linkAny questions or platform suggestions for the future updates? Let us know in the comments.
Good morning.I'd like someone to explain how the cobutf8 utility works to see if we can use it in our company.We work with Microfocus Visual COBOL 8.0 for Eclipse (Unix/Linux).The database is Informix, and a few years ago we migrated to the UTF-8 locale.The OS has LANG=es_ES.UTF-8.However, some integrations with other companies require files with a fixed position structure. We've found that with UTF-8 encoding, there's a left shift for each UTF-8 character written. Currently, we've added calls to iconv before each move to the file variable, but that's very cumbersome when the file has many fields.
The following code crashes when it is executed within Visual Studio 2022: CALL GetCurrentDirectory USING BY VALUE PC-PATH-LENGTHBY REFERENCE CURRENT-PC-DIRECTORYRETURNING iRetEND-CALL.it fails with the error message: 173 Called program file not found in drive/directory: GetCurrentDirectoryAI updated the PATH variable to include the folders where the COBOL runtime exists. So why does it not find the Windows API function? Is this a limitation of the PE version or some other property to build has not been set correctly? Any help is appreciated. Kevin
Hi ,we works with Micro Focus Visual cobol 8.0 for Eclipse on linux/UnixWe have a program with a file that we defines so:file-control. select prevcob assign to wk-prevcob organization is line sequential.data division.file section.fd prevcob.01 reg-prevcob pic x(185).and a working variable that defines the file structure as follows:01 wk-reg-prevcob-pru. 10 prevcob-nombre-pru pic x(40) value spaces. 10 prevcob-impdivisa-pru pic 9(16)v99 value 0. 10 resto pic x(127).We define a cusor that obtains data from a database with UTF-8 locales in Informix and passes it to the variables of the working (the host variable are defined like pic x(300) and pic s9(16)v9(2))move clinombr to prevcob-nombre-prumove srvimpdivi to prevcob-impdivisa-pru we write the file as follws:write reg-prevcob from wk-reg-prevcob-pruThe problem is that when field prevcob-nombre-pru contains a utf8 ch
Is there any documentation on help in converting from Fujitsu COBOL to Visual COBOL?
After installing the Visual COBOL PE, a took a utility program written in Fujitsu COBOL, to see how much of the source would or would not compile. There were few lines of code in the utility program that did not compile and I changed and/or deleted them so as the original source compiled successfully. However, the source included the COPY WINDOWS statement and that is where the majority of the errors occurred when compiled the windows.cpy file! My first thought was that the original source was to blame. I subsequently took the COBOL source template file that is created when a new project is started. Below is the contents of that file: identification division. program-id. Program1. environment division. configuration section. data division. working-storage section. COPY WINDOWS. *> pick up Windows defines procedure division. goback. end program Program1. The above code produced the same errors in the windows.cpy file.
I have requested to download Visual COBOL Personal Edition, but I have not received an email or reply to download Visual COBOL Personal Edition. What should I do so that I can download Visual COBOL Personal Edition?
Hi everyone, Thank you all for an incredible 2025. It’s been inspiring to see more customers upgrading to Rocket ACUCOBOL extend 11 and adopting VS Code Extension to accelerate modernization without disruption. Looking ahead, 2026 will bring even more innovations shaped by your needs and feedback. Expect richer content, deeper insights, and more customer success stories that show how to drive innovation with ACUCOBOL. Welcome to our first newsletter of the year, featuring the comprehensive list of supported platforms and January update of VS Code Extension. Extend your ACUCOBOL applications with supported platforms & integrationsExplore a comparison chart highlighting supported platform for Rocket ACUCOBOL extend 10.0 and Rocket ACUCOBOL extend 11.0.Learn more about supported:Operating systems Containerization services Cloud platforms Databases UI/UX tools Deployment optionsand more.VS Code Extension | January UpdateLast year, we introduced one of the biggest updates to Rocket ACU
The 1st COBOL newsletter of the year, featuring practical GenAI use cases in COBOL modernization and some of the 2026 trends. Hi everyone, Thank you all for an incredible 2025. It’s been inspiring to see more customers upgrading to Rocket Visual COBOL 11.0 and adopting GenAI in Rocket COBOL Analyzer to accelerate modernization without disruption. Looking ahead, 2026 will bring even more GenAI‑powered innovations shaped by your needs and feedback. Expect richer content, deeper insights, and more customer success stories that show how to drive innovation with COBOL. Welcome to our first newsletter of the year, featuring practical GenAI use cases in COBOL modernization and some of the 2026 trends to kick things off. COBOL Now: High‑value enterprise use cases for GenAI Industry analysts are clear: GenAI delivers the greatest value when it augments engineers, not replaces them. Here are a few examples of how GenAI is already bringing meaningful impact to COBOL modernization efforts today. 1
I am attempting to pass binary data from AcuCOBOL to a .NET method using a COMSAFEARRAY. For example, the buffer parameter in the below .NET method:public int addRow(byte[] buffer);I am receiving a COM error when I call this method passing the COMSAFEARRAY. If I use other data types like “string”, I do not have the error. Does anyone have any suggestions of how to pass data from acuCOBOL as a .NET byte array?
I got a new Windows 11 workstation, and moved my AcuCobol software over and reinstalled it. It’s been running fine for the past 3 weeks. But now when I try to compile with ccbl32.exe, I get an error:“D:\Program Files (x86)\Micro Focus\extend 10.4.1\AcuGT\bin\zlib.dll is not designed to run on Windows ….”With the help of Windows COPilot, I tried all sorts of test and security changes, but it still does not work. Apparently zlib.dll is on the list of DLLs with known vulnerabilities.Is there updated 10.4.1 that have been properly signed, or do I have to go to Extend 10.5 ?
I’m very pleased to announce the availability of RM/COBOL® 12.21.This latest AMC product release enables our COBOL developers to build, deploy and modernize existing RM/COBOL applications using the latest technologies and operating environments.Key Release Highlights include:Support added for a 64-bit Relativity Designer and Relativity DBA. Support added for a 64-bit Relativity Data Manager on Windows. Relativity Designer enhancement RMNet support for redirectionFor a full list of product updates, please see the product release notes. This latest release of RM/COBOL is now available for order within Sales Force. Existing on-maintenance customers may also download the latest version from the Rocket Software Customer Community. RM/COBOL 12.21 provides important maintenance updates for critical COBOL business systems and carries with it our commitment of continued support for RM/COBOL users and their core business applications.If you have any questions about this product release, please
Recently went to Window 11 64-bit system on a new computer.I have a program that writes and read Outlook emails, which began giving me errors.I used to executed "C:\Program Files (x86)\Micro Focus\extend 10.4.1\AcuGT\bin\wrun32.exe” which was the 32-bit version. So i switched to "C:\Program Files\Micro Focus\extend 10.4.1\AcuGT\bin\wrun32.exe” and the problem went away. YAAAA.So my software uses the old MSCAL.OCX Calendar control. Well it turns out it’s a 32-bit program, and WILL NOT EXECUTE using the 64-Bit version. Anyway interesting to note the both in "C:\Program Files\Micro Focus\...” and C:\Program Files (x86)\Micro Focus\….” the runtimes are named WRUN32. Shouldn’t the one of them be named WRUN64 ?Any thoughts ??
Hi everyone,As we move further into 2026 and preparing more ACUCOBOL insights for you, we’d love to hear from you about what would help you get even more value from your ACUCOBOL applications this year.Are there product features you’d like us to walk through in more detail? Industries or use cases you want us to highlight? More real-world modernization stories? Or maybe you’d enjoy something lighter, like ACU memes you can share with your teams.Whatever would make this community more useful and meaningful for you, please share your ideas in the comments. Your input guides what we create, and together we can make this space even more supportive for you and your business.Looking forward to hearing from you,Rocket ACUCOBOL Team
The book is by Micro Focus, which is the previous owner of Visual COBOL. It references available materials at their website: http://www.microfocus.com/visualcobolbook. The book itself is copyright 2017 by Micro Focus. Following that link results in a 404 (page not found) error. Is there a current website that contains the materials related to the book?Concerning murach’s mainframe COBOL, the book is copyright 2004, Mike Murach and Associates, Inc. It also makes references to Visual COBOL, but given the copyright date, I can see any links provided in that book as being more outdated than the Visual COBOL book. Is there a current website that contains any materials related to that book?
I filled out the digital form with my email, as you are supposed to do to get the license to use the product. But I have not received a license code via email yet. I was hoping someone here could help me.
Hi everyone,As we move further into 2026 and preparing more COBOL insights for you, we’d love to hear from you about what would help you get even more value from your COBOL applications this year.Are there product features you’d like us to walk through in more detail? More content on GenAI for COBOL modernization? Industries or use cases you want us to highlight? More real-world COBOL modernization stories? Or maybe you’d enjoy something lighter, like COBOL memes you can share with your teams.Whatever would make this community more useful for you, please share your ideas in the comments. Your input guides what we create, and together we can make this space even more supportive for you and your business.Looking forward to hearing from you,Rocket COBOL Team
I have successfully downloaded Visual COBOL. Reading the pdf, I find it talks about which versions of Visual Studio are supported. I think the doc may be somewhat outdated since it doesn’t talk about .NET 8 or Visual Studio Community 2022 edition. The first recommended topic to view is 8 years old, so I don’t think it applies. I am withholding installation until I know it will work with my system. I have:--HP Pavilion 64-Bit Gaming LaptopAMD Ryzen 5 Processor16 Gigs RAM1-TB Internal StorageWindows 11 Home EditionExternal 8-TB Solid-State Hard DriveVisual Studio Community 2022 64-bit Edition, Version 17.14.24Will Visual COBOL work with my system?
Good morning, are there any manuals for Acucobol in Italian? Or is there an Italian company I can ask for documentation from?
Hi trying to find who to reach to and see how to buy 1 or 2 licenses of this legacy MF NetExpress 5.1 tool. Can you point me to who I need to get in touch to find pricing and possibility of buying. thanks
Hey everyone,As we step into 2026, one thing is certain: GenAI will remain a major topic this year. That raises an important question — how can you leverage GenAI to accelerate COBOL modernization?This question inspired our latest insights article:✅ When generative AI delivers real value in COBOL modernization, and when it can lead to dangerous hallucinations✅ How to address the skills shortage and improve knowledge transfer using GenAI✅ What makes Rocket Software’s approach to GenAI different, ensuring you get insights you can trust for your modernization projectsRead the full post here: The Role of Generative AI in COBOL Modernization | Rocket SoftwareIf you have any questions or want us to dive deeper into any of these topics, let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!
Hi everyone, Last year we released one of the biggest updates for Rocket ACUCOBOL extend 11 -- Visual Studio Code extension. Your response has been outstanding, and we’re excited by the enthusiasm and valuable feedback we’re receiving from you. A big thank you to everyone who is using the extension.Link to the extension: Rocket ACUCOBOL-GT - Visual Studio MarketplaceWe’re committed to continuously improving the extension to make your ACUCOBOL development experience even better. Last week, we rolled out version 1.3.0, which includes: EnhancementsWorking Storage Editor - "Find in Objects" - Display and allow navigation to variable usages following search, delete or rename Environment Variables - Editing support Screen Designer - Collapse/Expand right pane Online Documentation - TutorialsBug FixesACUW-2905 - Working Storage - table refresh after each update ACUW-2909 - Right Pane - cell settings warning non-specific ACUW-2927 - Support opening several screens in parallel ACUW-3001 - Compi
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