Microsoft KB Archive/50532

COBOL Can’t Make Full Microsoft Windows Applications

PSS ID Number: Q50532 Article last modified on 11-03-1989

1.10 1.12 2.00 2.10 2.20 3.00 3.00a MS-DOS

Summary: Microsoft COBOL Versions 1.10, 1.12, 2.00, 2.10, 2.20, 3.00, and 3.00a are not designed to use the Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) to create Microsoft Windows applications. Microsoft COBOL does not support the prolog and epilog code to support Microsoft Windows. Microsoft COBOL compilers and their compiled programs can run only as “Bad Applications” in Microsoft Windows. “Bad Applications” require that you create a PIF (Program Information File) using the Windows PIFEDIT.EXE program. When you make the .PIF file for the compiler and its compiled programs, you need to specify “Directly Modifies: Screen, Keyboard, COM1, COM2, and Memory.” The programs take over the screen at run time, and do not run in a window. One workaround possibility may be to write Microsoft Windows programs in Microsoft C and make subroutine calls to COBOL 3.00 or 3.00a. However, calling COBOL 3.00 or 3.00a from a Windows application written in C has not been tested or explored by Microsoft. (Note that COBOL Versions 1.x and 2.x cannot call C or be called from C.)

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1989.