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GEN-CODE is an easy to use COBOL code generator that quickly
produces Add, Change, Inquire and Delete programs to your
specifications.
You provide the File Description and screen format, then fill in
the information that GEN-CODE asks for about each field on the
screen and then put GEN-CODE to work. In a matter of minutes you
will have fully functional source code you can compile and run.
Included is a model program for generating reports. The programs
generated are standard, structured COBOL that are easy to
maintain and modify.
By
test of a massive cargo tracking system used in the Port of Los
Angeles, this tool reduced development time by 40-60%.
Available
for MicroFocus and ACUCOBOL
Background:
GEN-CODE
was developed during a major system design for a cargo tracking
system that contains over 300 programs. As is the case with so
many systems, a large portion of the system was to be
maintenance modules that allowed records to be Added to,
Changed, Inquired upon or Deleted from files.
In addition it was not hard to see that many programs consisted
only of the Change, Inquire or Delete modes of a standard
maintenance program. For example the module used to enter cargo
clearance information was really a maintenance module in Change
mode only.
The project was under an enormous time crunch and in order to
cut down on coding time, a code generator was designed that
produced a generic Add, Change, Inquire and Delete modes
maintenance module.
The modules could be used as generated, or with some judicious
surgery, could handle many of the other tasks needed for the
complete system.
Testing this on trained COBOL coders the timing results were
significant. With the design work already done, the coding times
were checked for three methods of developing maintenance
modules. Method 1, writing the module from scratch and testing
took 6 to 8 hours depending on the number of fields on the
screen. Method 2, cloning code from an already working
maintenance module, or boiler plate, coding changes and testing
took 3 to 4 hours depending on the number of fields to appear on
the screen. Method 3, creating the module with GEN-CODE and
testing took 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the number of fields
appearing on the screen. Needless to say, the project was
finished using GEN-CODE.
How
it Works:
The programmer is required to produce
two things for GENCODE. First the copy libraries for file which
include the SELECT, FD, WORKING-STORAGE and DECLARATIVES. In the
second enclosed sample code, the highlighted blocks are the code
written by the programmer. Secondly GEN-CODE requires a screen
layout created with the screen layout utility included within
the package.
When GEN-CODE is run, the programmer specifies the file copy
libraries and the EZFORMAT screen to GENCODE. Each field on the
screen is displayed, and the user is asked to answer various
questions about the field, such as the name of the field in the
FD with which this screen is to be associated, whether the field
is a required entry field, whether the field is part of the key
to the file, and whether to perform date and time type
validation on the entered data.
When all the questions are answered, GEN-CODE obtains source
code files from it's own library, and generates code patches
suited to the screen and file field specifications and merges
these two into a source code file for a maintenance module that
can immediately be compiled.
Flexibility:
Aside from the code patches that are directly related to the
file and screen of the maintenance module, all the remaining
source code for a maintenance module is extracted from the
GEN-CODE source library. Source code in the GEN-CODE library is
standard COBOL code, that can be modified causing the
personality of the maintenance module to be modified.
The
GEN-CODE Package:
The code generator is licensed for single CPU use (not by
number of users) but the code that you create with the package
is yours to do with as you please.
The
entire system contains:
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The
GEN-CODE Source Library. |
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Copy
libraries for screen IO, cursor positioning, time and
date formatting and validation, online help, menus and
other utilities. |
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The
base maintenance module described above. |
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The
GEN-CODE programs. |
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Contact
us for a free consultation. |
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