By Stephanie Glen
Converting COBOL to Java line by line might seem like a straightforward approach to mainframe modernization, but enterprises that go that route won’t be able to fully escape COBOL’s clutches, experts say.
COBOL is still a mainframe staple more than six decades after its inception, but COBOL programming skills are in short supply. Mainframe modernization and moving apps to the cloud can give enterprises access to a larger pool of software developers versed in newer languages. But before cloud migration can happen, COBOL usually must be rewritten in a modern language such as Java.
Such conversions are tough because of the software developer shortage — and because the resulting Java will retain some COBOL features, which means enterprises will never be able to fully sever their ties to COBOL, said Jason Bloomberg, founder and president at analyst firm Intellyx.
COBOL-to-Java conversions result in JOBOL — a portmanteau that describes Java code with COBOL syntax. While JOBOL is technically valid Java code, it leaves the original software architecture in place and preserves COBOL semantics, requiring developers to treat the Java as though it were COBOL, Bloomberg said.
“The problem, therefore, is partly due to the developer skill set, but even the most senior developers would have a hard time with line-by-line converted COBOL,” he said.
