Crossover: Towards Compiler-Enabled COBOL-C Interoperability

Mart van Assen; Manzi Aimé Ntagengerwa; Ömer Sayilir; Vadim Zaytsev

doi:10.1145/3624007.3624055

Crossover: Towards Compiler-Enabled COBOL-C Interoperability

Mart van Assen, Manzi Aimé Ntagengerwa, Ömer Sayilir, Vadim Zaytsev

Formal Methods and Tools

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

Interoperability across software languages is an important practical topic. In this paper, we take a deep dive into investigating and tackling the challenges involved with achieving interoperability between C and BabyCobol. The latter is a domain-specific language condensing challenges found in compiling legacy languages — borrowing directly from COBOL's data philosophy. Crossover, a compiler designed specifically to showcase the interoperability, exposes details of connecting a COBOL-like language with PICTURE clauses and re-entrant procedures, to C with primitive types and struct composites. Crossover features a C library for overcoming the differences between the data representations native to the respective languages. We illustrate the design process of Crossover and demonstrate its usage to provide a strategy to achieve interoperability between legacy and modern languages. The described process is aimed to be a blueprint for achievable interoperability between full-fledged COBOL and modern C-like programming languages.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	GPCE 2023
Subtitle of host publication	Proceedings of the 22nd ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Generative Programming: Concepts and Experiences
Editors	Coen De Roover, Bernhard Rumpe, Amir Shaikhha
Publisher	ACM Press
Pages	72-85
Number of pages	14
Volume	2023
ISBN (Electronic)	979-8-4007-0406-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1145/3624007.3624055
Publication status	Published - 22 Oct 2023
Event	22nd ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Generative Programming, GPCE 2023: Concepts and Experiences - Cascais, Portugal Duration: 22 Oct 2023 → 23 Oct 2023 Conference number: 22

Conference

Conference	22nd ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Generative Programming, GPCE 2023
Abbreviated title	GPCE 2023
Country/Territory	Portugal
City	Cascais
Period	22/10/23 → 23/10/23

Keywords

2023 OA procedure
compilation
legacy languages
integration

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1145/3624007.3624055

ArticleFinal published version, 750 KBLicence: Taverne

Cite this

Assen, M. V., Ntagengerwa, M. A., Sayilir, Ö., & Zaytsev, V. (2023). Crossover: Towards Compiler-Enabled COBOL-C Interoperability. In C. De Roover, B. Rumpe, & A. Shaikhha (Eds.), GPCE 2023: Proceedings of the 22nd ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Generative Programming: Concepts and Experiences (Vol. 2023, pp. 72-85). ACM Press. https://doi.org/10.1145/3624007.3624055

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title = "Crossover: Towards Compiler-Enabled COBOL-C Interoperability",

abstract = "Interoperability across software languages is an important practical topic. In this paper, we take a deep dive into investigating and tackling the challenges involved with achieving interoperability between C and BabyCobol. The latter is a domain-specific language condensing challenges found in compiling legacy languages — borrowing directly from COBOL's data philosophy. Crossover, a compiler designed specifically to showcase the interoperability, exposes details of connecting a COBOL-like language with PICTURE clauses and re-entrant procedures, to C with primitive types and struct composites. Crossover features a C library for overcoming the differences between the data representations native to the respective languages. We illustrate the design process of Crossover and demonstrate its usage to provide a strategy to achieve interoperability between legacy and modern languages. The described process is aimed to be a blueprint for achievable interoperability between full-fledged COBOL and modern C-like programming languages.",

keywords = "2023 OA procedure, compilation, legacy languages, integration",

author = "Assen, {Mart van} and Ntagengerwa, {Manzi Aim{\'e}} and {\"O}mer Sayilir and Vadim Zaytsev",

year = "2023",

month = oct,

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doi = "10.1145/3624007.3624055",

language = "English",

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editor = "{De Roover}, Coen and Bernhard Rumpe and Amir Shaikhha",

booktitle = "GPCE 2023",

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note = "22nd ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Generative Programming, GPCE 2023 : Concepts and Experiences, GPCE 2023 ; Conference date: 22-10-2023 Through 23-10-2023",

}

Assen, MV, Ntagengerwa, MA, Sayilir, Ö & Zaytsev, V 2023, Crossover: Towards Compiler-Enabled COBOL-C Interoperability. in C De Roover, B Rumpe & A Shaikhha (eds), GPCE 2023: Proceedings of the 22nd ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Generative Programming: Concepts and Experiences. vol. 2023, ACM Press, pp. 72-85, 22nd ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Generative Programming, GPCE 2023, Cascais, Portugal, 22/10/23. https://doi.org/10.1145/3624007.3624055

Crossover: Towards Compiler-Enabled COBOL-C Interoperability. / Assen, Mart van; Ntagengerwa, Manzi Aimé; Sayilir, Ömer et al.
GPCE 2023: Proceedings of the 22nd ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Generative Programming: Concepts and Experiences. ed. / Coen De Roover; Bernhard Rumpe; Amir Shaikhha. Vol. 2023 ACM Press, 2023. p. 72-85.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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T1 - Crossover

T2 - 22nd ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Generative Programming, GPCE 2023

AU - Assen, Mart van

AU - Ntagengerwa, Manzi Aimé

AU - Sayilir, Ömer

AU - Zaytsev, Vadim

N1 - Conference code: 22

PY - 2023/10/22

Y1 - 2023/10/22

N2 - Interoperability across software languages is an important practical topic. In this paper, we take a deep dive into investigating and tackling the challenges involved with achieving interoperability between C and BabyCobol. The latter is a domain-specific language condensing challenges found in compiling legacy languages — borrowing directly from COBOL's data philosophy. Crossover, a compiler designed specifically to showcase the interoperability, exposes details of connecting a COBOL-like language with PICTURE clauses and re-entrant procedures, to C with primitive types and struct composites. Crossover features a C library for overcoming the differences between the data representations native to the respective languages. We illustrate the design process of Crossover and demonstrate its usage to provide a strategy to achieve interoperability between legacy and modern languages. The described process is aimed to be a blueprint for achievable interoperability between full-fledged COBOL and modern C-like programming languages.

AB - Interoperability across software languages is an important practical topic. In this paper, we take a deep dive into investigating and tackling the challenges involved with achieving interoperability between C and BabyCobol. The latter is a domain-specific language condensing challenges found in compiling legacy languages — borrowing directly from COBOL's data philosophy. Crossover, a compiler designed specifically to showcase the interoperability, exposes details of connecting a COBOL-like language with PICTURE clauses and re-entrant procedures, to C with primitive types and struct composites. Crossover features a C library for overcoming the differences between the data representations native to the respective languages. We illustrate the design process of Crossover and demonstrate its usage to provide a strategy to achieve interoperability between legacy and modern languages. The described process is aimed to be a blueprint for achievable interoperability between full-fledged COBOL and modern C-like programming languages.

KW - 2023 OA procedure

KW - compilation

KW - legacy languages

KW - integration

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PB - ACM Press

Y2 - 22 October 2023 through 23 October 2023

ER -

Crossover: Towards Compiler-Enabled COBOL-C Interoperability

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

UN SDGs

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