Microsoft KB Archive/66316

Why Should I Upgrade to COBOL 4.00? – List of New Features

PSS ID Number: Q66316 Article last modified on 11-15-1990

4.00 | 4.00 MS-DOS | OS/2

Summary: A common question from customers, once they receive their update

letter or hear news of the release of Microsoft COBOL Professional Development System (PDS) version 4.00, is the following: Why should I upgrade to COBOL version 4.00?

More Information: The following new features are offered in Microsoft COBOL PDS version

4.00 for MS-DOS and MS OS/2: 1. A new run-time system is included so programmers now have the choice of creating either stand-alone executables, using LCOBOL, or executables that make calls to a dynamic run-time system (COBLIB). Using COBLIB will create smaller .EXEs. 2. Microsoft Programmer’s WorkBench (PWB) version 1.10 speeds up

development of your projects. PWB is menu driven, allows use of a

mouse, and has an online help system (Microsoft Advisor) with COBOL

syntax, error messages, and other references.

3. Mixed-language programming with Microsoft C version 6.00 is easy in

PWB. 4. You can create OS/2 Presentation Manager (PM) and SQL Server

applications. 5. Microsoft CodeView version 3.50 (for OS/2 only) will speed up your debugging time. It has installable expression evaluators for both COBOL and C. 6. The SCREENS design utility lets you enhance your program’s user interface. COBOL version 4.00 offers the following performance improvements to

create applications that are smaller and faster than version 3.00: 1. Improved COMPUTE. 2. Improved FIXINGS. 3. Better handling of simple INSPECT. 4. COMP-5 is more efficient, with Intel byte order. 5. Fast SORT facility included with static-linked run-time system (LCOBOL). 6. The indexed file handler has been improved to operate faster in handling large numbers of duplicate keys. The following are some additional features new in COBOL 4.00: 1. Data file compression (KEYCOMPRESS & DATACOMPRESS directives). 2. EXTFH file handler replaces IXSIO. 3. Mouse support for applications included in library routines. 4. Named Calls replaces call-by-number calls.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1990.