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816

answers:

5

We have some COBOL programs in our financial applications which need to interact with some of our backend systems. One of the available interfaces is through a web service. Can a program written in Cobol make requests to a web service?

+2  A: 

I've never used COBOL but from quick Google search it looks like it's possible.

This looks like it'll help, and talks about integrating webservices with cobol through c code.

PintSizedCat
Yes - but the problem here is that it doesn't allow Java, ASP, C# etc. which probably constitute the vast majority of web services these days.
nzpcmad
+3  A: 

Microfocus provide a tool called Enterprise Server which allows COBOL to interact with web services.

If you have a COBOL program A and another COBOL program B and A calls B via the interface section, the tool allows you to expose B's interface section as a web service.

For program A, you then generate a client proxy and A can now call B via a web service.

Of course, because B now has a web service any other type of program (command line, Windows application, Java, ASP etc.) can now also call it.

nzpcmad
A: 

ibm is now trying to implement a technology called embedded websphere with java. ibm belives this is the only way to give the life to mainframes.

venkatram
+1  A: 

What platform is this on? IBM's CICS supports webservices invokationnn from cobol program via EXEC CICS INVOKE.

Bartosz Radaczyński
A: 

I know I can write a WebService with Delphi and call a COBOL DLL or call a Delphi dll to comunicate with webservice.

Right now Im writing a webservice client, it will be a DLL, and Ill call from old COBOL systems.

Cesar Romero