We're looking into the feasibility of migrating from MicroFocus to
Fujitsu Cobol.  Has anyone done that?  Is it possible?  Difficult?
Simple?  Know of any posts or documents to assist with research on
this?

Thanks

"Vivian" <vsaegesser@infogix.com> wrote in message 
news:46a13b6f-cfdc-4702-8d0b-02349c2fd3c3@y12g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
> We're looking into the feasibility of migrating from MicroFocus to
> Fujitsu Cobol.  Has anyone done that?  Is it possible?  Difficult?
> Simple?  Know of any posts or documents to assist with research on
> this?
>
> Thanks

William Klein has a COBOL FAQ at:

http://home.comcast.net/~wmklein/FAQ/COBOLFAQ.htm

Look at

13.6.12.3 Mf2Fsc

Mf2Fsc is a Micro Focus COBOL to Fujitsu COBOL converter.

It converts Micro Focus COBOL-85 to Fujitsu COBOL-85 and beautifies the 
program at the same time.

A free prototype is available from their web site at: 
http://www.siber.com/sct/

A commercial version will be available soon.

Hope this helps

On Jan 30, 5:32=A0am, Vivian <vsaeges...@infogix.com> wrote:
> We're looking into the feasibility of migrating from MicroFocus to
> Fujitsu Cobol. =A0Has anyone done that? =A0Is it possible? =A0Difficult?
> Simple? =A0Know of any posts or documents to assist with research on
> this?

The major area that will be a problem is the user interface.
Microfocus ADIS gives many facilities that are hard to do in Fujitsu.
If your system is web-based or batch then there should be few issues.
If it is fully interactive console based with ADIS or Screen sections
then it may be impossible to get the same without a lot of reworking.
If it is GUI based with Windows API or SP/2 then it should be OK.

On Jan 29, 1:04=A0pm, "me" <m...@home.com> wrote:
> "Vivian" <vsaeges...@infogix.com> wrote in message
>
> news:46a13b6f-cfdc-4702-8d0b-02349c2fd3c3@y12g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
>
> > We're looking into the feasibility of migrating from MicroFocus to
> > Fujitsu Cobol. =A0Has anyone done that? =A0Is it possible? =A0Difficult=
?
> > Simple? =A0Know of any posts or documents to assist with research on
> > this?
>
> > Thanks
>
> William Klein has a COBOL FAQ at:
>
> http://home.comcast.net/~wmklein/FAQ/COBOLFAQ.htm
>
> Look at
>
> 13.6.12.3 Mf2Fsc
>
> Mf2Fsc is a Micro Focus COBOL to Fujitsu COBOL converter.
>
> It converts Micro Focus COBOL-85 to Fujitsu COBOL-85 and beautifies the
> program at the same time.
>
> A free prototype is available from their web site at:http://www.siber.com=
/sct/
>
> A commercial version will be available soon.
>
> Hope this helps

Thanks, I'll check it out.  I figured you would know :)

On Jan 29, 2:06=A0pm, Richard <rip...@Azonic.co.nz> wrote:
> On Jan 30, 5:32=A0am, Vivian <vsaeges...@infogix.com> wrote:
>
> > We're looking into the feasibility of migrating from MicroFocus to
> > Fujitsu Cobol. =A0Has anyone done that? =A0Is it possible? =A0Difficult=
?
> > Simple? =A0Know of any posts or documents to assist with research on
> > this?
>
> The major area that will be a problem is the user interface.
> Microfocus ADIS gives many facilities that are hard to do in Fujitsu.
> If your system is web-based or batch then there should be few issues.
> If it is fully interactive console based with ADIS or Screen sections
> then it may be impossible to get the same without a lot of reworking.
> If it is GUI based with Windows API or SP/2 then it should be OK.

It's just batch.  My concerns actually are in replacing the MicroFocus
extensions, like the EXTFH.  I'm not sure it's possible to do
something like that in Fujitsu.

"Vivian" <vsaegesser@infogix.com> wrote in message 
news:d1b3ca1a-4a2c-4330-9630-59b967bc639e@a32g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...

> It's just batch.  My concerns actually are in  replacing the MicroFocus
> extensions, like the EXTFH.  I'm not sure it's possible to do
> something like that in Fujitsu.

Try http://www.netcobol.com/download/manuals/NetCOBLanguageRef.pdf

& look at Chapter 10

Vivian wrote:
> We're looking into the feasibility of migrating from MicroFocus to
> Fujitsu Cobol.  Has anyone done that?  Is it possible?  Difficult?
> Simple?  Know of any posts or documents to assist with research on
> this?
> 
> Thanks

Both in the RAF (12 years) and some 1.5 years in commercial accounting, 
I was always curious and asked the five W's. I've been in this racket 
since '63 and it was that curiosity and the changes I made that got me 
into IT as a systems analyst initially. (None of this fancy 
analyst/programmer, programmer/analyst and variations on same - just a 
systems analyst with NO programming).

You young 'uns just don't know how to communicate - which is at the 
heart of IT. So first spell out the following and you are likely to get 
some relevant answers from Fujitsu users and possibly some from (former) 
M/F users. So far as IT is concerned the well-known phrase should read 
'It was lack of curiosity that killed the cat'. (There's a fair history 
in past of HUGE failures).

Fujitsu - your possible conversion path :

a) Procedural COBOL
b) database - COBOL files or (R)DBMS (SQL)
c) .Net - maybe some C# and VB perhaps for dialog-ing
d) Objective - As you are considering the conversion, are you thinking a 
one-for-one, or will you also take the opportunity to enhance the 
existing applications

Micro Focus :

a) Which compiler, DOS or Net Express Version # ?
b) Procedural ?
c) OO with Dialog Editor and GUI classes
d) Dialog System, (semi OO if you think of GUIs as an add-on to OO)
e) DOS Screening (Ouch !)
f) Files - COBOL or an existing (R)DBMS

Spell out the above.

- "Is it possible ?" - YES, a fair number of M/F users have done it, 
going back to when Fujitsu first introduced their version of COBOL which 
they've now dumped on an outfit called Alchemy.

One thing to be aware of of, (from F/J users here, not me), Fujitsu 
technical support is "piss-poor" !

- "Difficult or Simple ?" - realistically nothing is simple. Whether or 
not it is "Reasonable" or "Difficult" largely depends on your plan.

Potential M/F problems :-
---------------------------

COBOL File Handling - I don't know the F/J product but F/J users may be 
able to confirm if there is a conversion kit from M/F to F/J COBOL file 
formats.

(R)DBMS - which product currently ? - then F/J users could advise you if 
it is a good fit.

A lot depends upon Micro Focus 'extensions' that you may have become
used to over time. For years you may have been using some of these
'extensions', which are now part of COBOL 2002 - so they should
represent a painless switch. (Note that M/F had extensions some TEN 
YEARS before COBOL 2002 was dreamed up - and not surprisingly they 
retained them, even though they are not part of that Standard).

Do you use any of the "CALL CBL_....routines" ? F/J has a parallel set 
covering file checking.

However, prior to going to Basic, I know somebody who attempted a
convert from M/F to F/J.  What really got him hung up was the Level 78s 
-  an excellent feature but non-existent in F/J.

*********

The irony of it all. Only recently found out that Fujitsu in Canada has
a subsidiary that programs in MICRO FOCUS NET EXPRESS.

Jimmy, Calgary AB

On Jan 30, 9:57=A0am, Vivian <vsaeges...@infogix.com> wrote:
> On Jan 29, 2:06=A0pm, Richard <rip...@Azonic.co.nz> wrote:
>
> > On Jan 30, 5:32=A0am, Vivian <vsaeges...@infogix.com> wrote:
>
> > > We're looking into the feasibility of migrating from MicroFocus to
> > > Fujitsu Cobol. =A0Has anyone done that? =A0Is it possible? =A0Difficu=
lt?
> > > Simple? =A0Know of any posts or documents to assist with research on
> > > this?
>
> > The major area that will be a problem is the user interface.
> > Microfocus ADIS gives many facilities that are hard to do in Fujitsu.
> > If your system is web-based or batch then there should be few issues.
> > If it is fully interactive console based with ADIS or Screen sections
> > then it may be impossible to get the same without a lot of reworking.
> > If it is GUI based with Windows API or SP/2 then it should be OK.
>
> It's just batch. =A0My concerns actually are in replacing the MicroFocus
> extensions, like the EXTFH. =A0I'm not sure it's possible to do
> something like that in Fujitsu.

Indexed and Relative data files are not compatible between Microfocus
and Fujitsu. They need to be converted.

EXTFH is not a language extension, it is an implementation issue. The
External File Handler allows both the replacement of the Microfocus
file handling system with some other written to use the same interface
and also other languages to access the Microfocus file types by being
able to call the EXTFH routines.

Fujitsu caters for the latter by providing a C callable set of
routines.

It depends on what you have done with EXTFH.

Another issue I found was printing. Simple writing of text lines is no
problem but in most cases (with the system that I use) Fujitsu will
output Postscript files. These are incompatible with outputting
control characters in the print lines, especially if PCL control is
required. While Fujitsu has some nice ideas about how printers should
be driven they can be a problem if you have completely different
ideas.

On Jan 29, 11:32=A0am, Vivian <vsaeges...@infogix.com> wrote:
> We're looking into the feasibility of migrating from MicroFocus to
> Fujitsu Cobol. =A0Has anyone done that? =A0Is it possible? =A0Difficult?
> Simple? =A0Know of any posts or documents to assist with research on
> this?
>
> Thanks

Vivian,

Flexus offers high-level user interface conversion tools which will
help you convert DISPLAY/ACCEPT-based COBOL programs, Screen Section-
based COBOL programs, Dialog System-based COBOL programs, Acucobol-GT
GUI-based COBOL programs and several other lesser-used user interface
methods to COBOL compiler-independent CALL USING statements for your
user interface.  We also address non-user interface dialect issues as
well in our conversion tools.

Our tools can help you convert your existing COBOL compiler-specific
applications to COBOL compiler-independent COBOL applications.

We are presently completing another conversion filter which will
convert the COBOL user interface code to C# .NET user interface code
for use with COBOL compilers which support the .NET environment.

Contact us at info@flexus.com for more information or visit our web
site at www.flexus.com.