Need an example of Cobol 5.0 or 5.1 accessing a external URL

When you say "calling a external URL" you are probably talking about COBOL invoking a web service.

Web services are described by WSDL documents.  See here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Services_Description_Language

A utility named "imtkmake" provided with Server Express can take a WSDL as input and produce as output an example COBOL program capable of invoking the web service.

The subject is covered in the Server Express documentation.  Start here:   http://supportline.microfocus.com/documentation/books/sx51ws02/sx51indx.htm

Then navigate to: Bookshelf > Reference >  Interface Mapping Toolkit Commands > imtkmake

It shows the following usage for the imtkmake command:  

imtkmake -genclientwsdl   clientwsdl=wsdl-filename 
                         [clientdir=directory-name] 
                         [defaultstringsize=string-size] 
                         [defaultarraysize=array-size] 

The -genclientwsdl option takes an argument: clientwsdl=wsdl-filename, then generates a COBOL sample client and sample proxy program. You can choose the directory where you would like the sample programs to be created, using the option clientdir=directory-name, otherwise it defaults to the location of the specified wsdl.

The generated COBOL programs are merely samples that you can use as templates for producing your own COBOL programs capable of invoking web services.

Actually, in my experience, by "calling an external URL" or similar phrases, customers often mean something other than invoking a SOAP web service. (The procedure Dan describes is for SOAP web services only.) We've seen a number of inquiries about invoking REST web services, POSTing HTML form responses, or simply GETing content, from COBOL programs.

Our web service support only covers SOAP web services, so for REST web services or other kinds of HTTP requests, your COBOL program will have to call an OS or third-party library. On UNIX, some customers have had good luck with the open-source cURL library, as described in this KB article.

To say more, we'd need to know more about what you're trying to accomplish.

Hi Michael, thank you

That's exactly what I need to do. Both of your suggestion.

First I need to invoke a URL using a webservice, I have the URL's xml generated but I don't have your WSDL, I'm work on it(to request this WSDL).

And I need to invoke another URL getting a simple content as you suggest.

Nice, i'll verify this lib, or create another one in C.

Just one doubt, do you know If I have to use the NetExpress?, unfortunately we don't just use as ServerExpress.

Hi Michael, thank you

That's exactly what I need to do. Both of your suggestion.

First I need to invoke a URL using a webservice, I have the URL's xml generated but I don't have your WSDL, I'm work on it(to request this WSDL).

And I need to invoke another URL getting a simple content as you suggest.

Nice, i'll verify this lib, or create another one in C.

Just one doubt, do you know If I have to use the NetExpress?, unfortunately we don't just use as ServerExpress.

The cURL library is available for a number of platforms. It should be usable from a COBOL program written for Server Express, if there's a version for the platform you're using.

Note that WSDL only applies to SOAP web services. If the web service you're trying to invoke isn't SOAP, there won't be a WSDL document.

Thank you Michael.

That's exactly what I need, now I have a good start point to search.

I didn't know there SOAP web service and non SOAP web service.

if other doubts, i'll ask one more time.

Thanks again Michael / Dan !

Thank you Michael.

That's exactly what I need, now I have a good start point to search.

I didn't know there SOAP web service and non SOAP web service.

if other doubts, i'll ask one more time.

Thanks again Michael / Dan !