The cob command enables you to produce executable files of the following types:
- Intermediate code
-
.int files are dynamically loadable, and don't need to be linked into a system executable.
- Generated code
-
.gnt files are dynamically loadable, and don't need to be linked into a system executable.
- Callable shared object files
- These files are dynamically loadable, and don't need to be linked into a system executable.
- Shared library files
- These are system linkable files that can be linked into executable files. They cannot be directly executed themselves.
- System executable files
- These files are directly executable. They are loaded by the operating system, which creates a new process in which to run them.
The cob command provides the interface between your COBOL source program and the following COBOL system components:
- The Compiler - to syntax check and compile your COBOL source files into
intermediate (.int) code files, and to generate the .int files into generated (.gnt) or object (.o) code files
- The system linker - to link object code into a callable shared object, shared library or system executable file
It also provides an interface to the C++ compiler, cc (the C compiler) and as (the Assembler).
