Re: Dynamic COBOL

[R Bruce Hoffman <bruce.hoffman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

you understand correctly.

COBOL is not interpreted, it's compiled and that's basically what is
being asked for here... 

In other words, they want a formula language interpreter...

Not directly supported by the COBOL language, but I wrote this kind of
functionality years ago using PL/I and Cozzi had written one years ago
in RPG.

You could write it in COBOL... it's called a Recursive Descent Parser.

But it sounds more like they just want a small PC with BASIC on it. At
least that's closer to the functionality that's being requested here.



On Thu, 2006-11-02 at 08:02 -0600, Kelly Cookson wrote:
> I have some colleagues who want to know if a COBOL program can
> dynamically create formulas for computation:
>
> "Have you ever or do you know if formulas can be created on the fly
> using cobol?  We are basically wanting to let them enter a formula D=((A
> + B) +S) / 2).  And then we let the user tell us what to use for the
> values they entered.  Just wanting to see if you have ever done anything
> like this to see if possible."
>
> My understanding of COBOL is that they would have to write a set of
> programs that (1) generate the COBOL code with the user's formula
> included, (2) compile the COBOL code into a program, and (3) call the
> program passing it the parameters desired by the user.
>
> Anybody know of a better way?
>
> Thanks,
> Kelly