Introduction

WebBOL is a Legacy COBOL Code Saver for programmers who want to migrate COBOL applications to the internet. It allows you to create a cloud based application and save your CORE COBOL code by replacing the client interface. It is not a veneer. It generates Native HTML 5 and Javascript. You do not have to learn HTML 5 or javascript. It figures it all out for you. Typical client response times are 3 tenths of a second or less.

WebBOL lets you design and process internet forms (a formatted screen of menus, buttons, listboxes, ect.) in your programming language (COBOL) without the hassle of learning HTML, CGI, SSI, Perl, PHP, CSS, Java Script, ASP and other internet languages. The basic steps are easy.

• Use Our Forms Editor Program To Design A Internet Form
• Execute WebBOL To:
  • Display The Form
  • Send The Form Data To Your COBOL Program for analysis and change.
  • ReDisplay The Form Based On Data From Your Program
  • Repeat Until Your Program Says To Quit

The programming interface is clear, consistent, very straightforward, and is in pure COBOL. It's fair to say that, once you have the general idea of how to use WebBOL - which won't take long - you'll rarely need to refer to the documentation.  It's that simple.  Honest.

You do NOT need a SDK (Software Developer's Kit), nor do you need any knowledge of internet programming.  WebBOL handles all of the complexity of working with internet screens. You just program what you want to do with the actual data.

Would you like to see a WebBOL system in action ?
Click HERE to play with a demo system that shows all the controls available to the programmer. Of course this demo system is written entirely in COBOL using WebBOL. All the source code for this demo is provided with the system.

Using The WebBOL Forms Editor 

Design your internet forms using our interactive editor.  The editor displays the forms just as your user would see them under control of your program.  It's easy to add  controls, arrange them, set colors and fonts, include text for Balloon Help or Help Tips, and in general arrange your panel the way you want it to look. 

You can even execute your panel in the editor and see how it will behave under control of your program. 

Programming

Even though WebBOL programs are simple, a skeleton program is provided to handle your form.  The skeleton program is very clean, easy to read, well commented. A few changes for your particular form and it will compile and run. 

All you need to do is to add your business logic, and you're well on the way to developing your Internet application.

A full working sample is also included for your review. Complete with data manipulation, messages, etc.

Displaying Your Forms

WebBOL handles all of the low-level Internet details for you.  You start our program with the name of your internet form. We will call your program when it is time to initialize any data (load a  listbox of zip codes for example). When any data has changed, a button has been clicked, or any other significant event has occurred, we will tell you what event and why (usually, the user pressed a button or selected a  menu item). WebBOL returns your data in your form's copybook.