XML data encoding is record-based and the vast majority of possible encodings can be easily represented as COBOL data records. For example, this XML stream:
<?xml version="1.0"?> <group elementNumber=1235 > <elementAlpha>Alpha value</elementAlpha> </group>
Can be received directly by COBOL code using syntax extensions as follows:
01 xmls-group identified by "group". 05 xmls-Number pic 9(18) identified by "elementNumber" is attribute. 05 xmls-Alpha pic x(80) identified by "elementAlpha".
This is a simple example. However, we support a number of more complex syntax scenarios, including variable tag specifications, non-regular and nested occurrences, mixed data, and optional elements.
Once you are able to encode XML records in your application, you can originate or receive these records in your COBOL application. Do this using standard file input/output verbs including OPEN, READ, WRITE, and CLOSE. The run-time support automatically converts, encodes, and performs all of the necessary I/O. For example, the following code is all that is necessary to generate the XML stream depicted in the example above into the file out-xml:
select xml-stream assign "out.xml" organization is xml document-type is "group" file status is xml-bookdb-status. xd xml-stream. 01 xmls-group identified by "group". 05 xmls-Number pic 9(18) identified by "elementNumber" is attribute. 05 xmls-Alpha pic x(80) identified by "elementAlpha". working-storage section. 01 xml-bookdb-status pic s9(9) comp. move 1235 to xmls-Number move "Alpha value" to xmls-Alpha open output xml-stream write xmls-group close xml-stream stop run.