However, with the upcoming release of Enterprise COBOL 5.1 and its radically different code generation (and, I am guessing, runtime library contents and usage to match), there exists at least the *possibility* we may have to do something similar again. I certainly hope not (one would *hope* that IBM would not do that to us), but I have not yet seen the migration guide/advice from IBM to be sure about it.
Peter -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of Mark Zelden Sent: Monday, June 03, 2013 10:51 AM To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU Subject: Re: To recompile or not recompile, that's the question On Sat, 1 Jun 2013 23:58:34 -0400, Shmuel Metz (Seymour J.) <shmuel+...@patriot.net> wrote: >In ><985915eee6984740ae93f8495c624c6c2318055...@jscpcwexmaa1.bsg.ad.adp.com>, >on 05/31/2013 > at 03:40 PM, "Farley, Peter x23353" <peter.far...@broadridge.com> >said: > >>The problem with recompilation is not purely technical though. ISTM >>that there is far more bureaucracy needed to monitor and guarantee >>successful completion of full regression testing at each >>recompilation than there is payback from using notionally "better" >>translators and runtimes at a given stage. > >Yes, additional regression checking is expensive. However, how do you >validate a new release or service level of the compiler without it? >What do you do when you roll a new release of the compiler into >production and discover six months later that you can't compile a >module that you need to update? Sometimes pay now is less expensive >than pay later. > I supposed I could see a small shop, or a development shop / vendor that would do this. But I don't know that I've ever been in a production shop that did. There is no way it would ever happen in the larger ones I've been at. My current client must have a few hundred thousand COBOL programs (batch / CICS mostly) and the cost to test after compile even 10% of them would far far out weigh whatever cost of fixing a program or programs that had a problem 6 months down the line. In my experience, those have been few and far between anyway (although I admit I am not in the loop for many application issues). As far as validation, there is plenty of activity on a daily basis to point to a new compiler when we are ready to and then cut over to it being the default once everyone is comfortable. I have been at shops that did it "one application system at a time" to migrate from COBOL II to Enterprise V3, but that was the last time all programs were compiled and tested for any given application. No one wants to do that again! Mark -- This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If the reader of the message is not the intended recipient or an authorized representative of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail and delete the message and any attachments from your system. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
