Rocket® COBOL

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 ? 

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 ?? 

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

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. 

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

Hi.Following our migration from MF Enterprise Developer to Rocket Cobol for VSCode, we are experiencing some Language Server errors in VSCode that do not show up in MF, but we are unable to figure out how to fix them. We assume is probably related to missing or incorrect compiler directives, but we are not sure. This is the actual configuration of Cobol directives in MF: ​​​​​​And this is the configuration of Cobol Default Directives on Rocket Cobol (basically replicating the ones in MF, but including a few extra ones, like assign”external” to fix some COBCH0005 errors)  However, with this configuration, we are seeing some errors, such as COBCH0641 , COBCH0628 or COBCH0002, and  we have no clue how to fix them. Here are some of them: (at least we can see the OUTLINE section seems to be working fine and recognizing Cobol structures) Any idea how to ensure Language Server behaves in the same way as MF ? We are NOT using directives.mf files so far, but direct configuration on the Rocket C

Did the RM/COBOL support syntax FUNCTION? How to use? And document to refer   

We currently have a native COBOL application that uses dynamic SQL (via OpenESQL) to fetch, insert and update into Microsoft SQL.This includes varbinary(max) columns which we have working and I suspect it was based on the demo which was available from this link https://community.rocketsoftware.com/rocket-visual-cobol-28/demo-using-the-varbinary-max-column-type-from-cobol-4560. Unfortunately the link to the actual demo is no longer available.I now have the fun and games of trying to convert this logic to .NET core Visual COBOL and I am really struggling to work out how to ‘stitch’ the 65k blocks back together into the correct format and would really appreciate some guidance on this (the same goes for splitting it into the 65k blocks to insert/update).Is there any chance for the demo mentioned to be converted into .NET Core VC so that I can refer to it and work out what I need to do?Thanks in advance 

We have a cash register program that prints directly to a receipt printer via LPT1.One of our customers do not have their printer setup that way, and it was working for them for years, and then all of a sudden, it stopped.  Here is what the customer has said about their setup in our support ticket: “These are IP-based Star sp712 printers that are designed to be plugged into the network (not a USB or LPT port).  Initially, we had the receipts printing and the cash drawer opening but there is something wonky in the cash register app related to if a user has the option for printer selection enabled.  Once a user with that option tries to print it boogers up the computer for all users in that when they attempt to print, it will open the drawer but not actually print.  Meanwhile, we can use a legit program like notepad or Word and it prints and opens the drawer properly.We went to another PC not at the counter and got that to work and also confirmed on both that it wasn't a windows user per

I think that no, but…Can I do something like that?:       77 lsMethod string.           Move 'gabert' to lsMethod           Invoke Classes lsMethod returning QuebraGalho  Hugs.Antonio JoãoVisual COBO + Visual Studio.

Hi everyone,Thank you again to everyone who joined the State & the Future of COBOL webinar.  If you missed it or would like to share it with your colleagues, here is the recording: The State & The Future of COBOL | Rocket SoftwareStay tuned and turn on the Rocket Forum notifications so you don’t miss the next event. Here are the quiz winners:Marc C.Sebastian S.Thibaut C.Elsabe A.Frank B.Jebastin K.Paul M.Jonathan S.Juan U.Florian G.And then Allan L. who guess the author of the COBOL quote.We'll share the gift details with everyone next week.Best,Rocket COBOL team

Hi everyone, The idea that COBOL is "stuck in the past" is one of tech's most persistent myths - and one of its biggest disconnects, given how much COBOL is still actively being developed. Even those once familiar with the language can struggle to see how it fits into a modern tech stack in the age of AI. Perhaps you're one of them? There's more than a grain of truth, of course - many COBOL systems do carry the weight of their history. Real-world COBOL often contains layers from different eras, as you'd expect from software that's delivered value for decades. But to examine a few lines of code written from 1980s or earlier and conclude COBOL has no place in modern IT is like dismissing smartphones because you once used a brick-sized mobile phone in the '80s. Don't let your memory of COBOL - as it once was and when you once wrote it - cloud your judgment of what it's capable of today. And perhaps most regrettably, don't let that lead you to trade it for something that's little more tha

If so, is there an option to open a copybook? I can not find this essential functionality….

Hi! I am currently testing Visual COBOL 11 against my software, and when I run a program that has Database Connectors in them, I get a 9D,25 error on all the SQL tables that are in the program.Copilot tells me that the 9D,25 means the XFD is corrupt, but I re-created the XFDs and I am still getting the error. I re-created the Aculock DB, and made sure that my ACUFH file is pointing to the correct folder, and I have a valid license.  Is there anything else I can look at? 

I installed the latest Personal Edition of Visual COBOL.I'm trying to create a class that inherits from base and I'm getting the message "Inherited class 'Type base' not found".How do I fix this?

Welcome to Rocket® COBOL Fuel, your monthly source for all things COBOL. In this issue, you’ll learn about the first challenge of modernization and get the latest webinar recording.  Release of the year: Rocket Visual COBOL 11.0 Your COBOL applications hold decades of mission-critical business logic and data. They are not roadblocks. They are strategic assets. With Rocket Visual COBOL 11.0 released this year, you can unlock, modernize, and extend the value of these applications without disruption.Modernize your development Adopt Agile and DevOps practices in COBOL development using industry-standard tools and GenAI assistance. Onboard and train developers faster with AI-driven insights that make even the most complex codebases easier to understand. Modernize your infrastructure Run COBOL anywhere, from commodity platforms to containers, microservices, and the cloud. Version 11.0 introduces ARM support for greater deployment flexibility and cost optimization. It also expands coverage of